Staff Reports
With President Joe Biden riding off into the sunset of political obscurity, Kamala Harris has suddenly found herself the belle of the Democratic ball, with endorsements pouring in from politicians, special interest groups, and labor unions looking to hitch their wagons to the Harris train. However, the United Auto Workers’ union, which is supposed to be riding high on this pro-union, pro-labor wave, is holding back the applause. UAW President Shawn Fain is taking the slow and steady route, cautiously tiptoeing around a decision on whether to endorse Harris.
Fain, with all the urgency of a sloth in a traffic jam, stated he wants to have “fruitful discussions” before making any declarations. It seems that they are on a fact-finding mission to determine whether Harris can actually deliver what she promises, as they remember all too well how long it took them to endorse Biden the first time around. Apparently, they wouldn’t want to rush into anything, especially after showering accolades on President Biden as the “greatest president of my lifetime.” This translates to love at first sight when it comes to endorsements… just nine months after Biden declared a second term ambition. Nice way to take your time, eh?
Keene, CA — United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero released the following statement on UFW’s endorsement of Kamala Harris for President:
https://t.co/gf3MYVjoje— United Farm Workers (@UFWupdates) July 22, 2024
It turns out that the UAW’s reluctance to endorse isn’t just a slow dance at the freaky deaky Democratic prom; rather, it reflects a larger concern about the Big Three automakers and the escalating pressure surrounding new contracts and the increasingly controversial push for electric vehicles. So while everyone else seemingly dances along with Harris, the UAW’s reserved stance indicates that they’re at least trying to ensure that they won’t get left behind in the switch to electric vehicles that appear to be more about government overreach than worker welfare.
In fact, Fain showed that he’s not entirely a fan of the push for electric vehicles without winning guarantees for workers. His idea of a “just transition” sounds great on paper but raises eyebrows regarding the government’s plans to turn America’s automobile industry upside down. It seems Fain wants the industry to prove that it can keep workers employed rather than forcing them into the electric abyss while politicians pat themselves on the back for being so “forward-thinking.”
Despite Fain’s cautious dance regarding Harris, he still took a moment to express fondness for President Biden, who made a grand entrance at the UAW picket line during the recent strike. Meanwhile, the ex-president, Donald Trump, showed up at a typical company, Drake Enterprises, presumably without fanfare from the union faithful. But Fain was quick to contrast this with his celebration that Harris had graced the 2019 GM strike, claiming that Trump “said nothing, did nothing.” The irony of this stance is palpable, given the current climate of big labor versus ‘big business’ and the narrative that Democrats love to push.
It remains quite clear that while the Democratic arsenal of endorsements for Harris is firing on all cylinders, the UAW is keeping its powder dry, waiting for a good reason to pull the trigger. As they maneuver through the murky waters of union politics, one thing is for certain: the UAW is not ready to put its full faith—and certainly not its endorsement—behind a Democratic candidate until they see some genuine commitment to workers’ rights. Whether Harris can pull off that magic trick, only time will tell.
