United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain made it clear he doesn’t approve of former President Trump’s trip next week to Detroit amid the union’s ongoing strike against the Big Three automakers.
“Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement to CNN.
The Hill has reached out to Fain and UAW.
As workers continue to stand on the picket line, demanding wage increases and benefits from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, Trump will deliver prime-time remarks to current and former union workers in Detroit instead of attending the second Republican presidential primary debate Sept. 27.
Trump, who won Michigan narrowly in 2016 but lost the state in 2020, may attempt to appeal to union workers, a critical voting block for President Biden and Democrats. But Fain said UAW’s message directly contrasts with who Trump is and what he represents.
Union workers have long been seen as a key cog of the Democratic base, but polling from the last presidential election indicates these voters may be shifting allegiances.
While Biden garnered the most votes from union households (56 percent) compared to 40 percent for Trump, according to exit polling by CNN, Trump won the support of workers with less than a college degree in 2016 and again in 2020, by 7 and 8 percentage points respectively, according to The Pew Research Center.
Biden has repeatedly claimed he is the most pro-union president, but Fain has yet to endorse the president, saying last week that endorsements have to be earned and members need to see “actions not words,” from Biden.
“Our endorsements are going to be earned. We’ve been very clear about that, no matter what politician.”
Fain’s decision not to endorse Biden is driven by concerns about federal electric vehicle (EV) policies. The Biden administration has pushed for an industry shift to EVs, which require fewer workers to make, and the concern is how such a transition could impact workers jobs and pay.