WAYNE, Mich— Dozens of United Auto Workers (UAW) members rallied in Wayne on Thursday to support Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I am deeply honored as a longtime union supporter that Tim and I have the endorsement of the UAW,” Harris said during a 25-minute speech at UAW Local 900. “When you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. We stand for people. We stand for the dignity of work. We stand for justice. We stand for equality. And we will fight for all of that.”
Attendees enthusiastically chanted at Harris, “We can count on you!”
Walz, a former teacher and union member, shares Harris’s view.
“Thank you for the privilege of walking with you on the picket line last year, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to raise our voices,” Walz told UAW members, referring to the “Stand Up Strike” against three Detroit automakers, Ford, Stellantis and GM. “The work that you did not only benefit UAW workers — it benefited all workers. I couldn’t be more proud to be on this stage, and I couldn’t be more proud to stand with the UAW.”
In November, Democrats will face former GOP President Donald Trump and his vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). Vance held a miniature campaign event at the Shelby Township Police Department on Wednesday morning, where he sharply criticized Harris for the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
“We’re dealing with the consequences of that, even in places like Shelby Township,” Vance said. “Which the media would say is far from the southern border and its problems. And geographically, of course, it’s far from the southern border, but it’s not far from its problems.”
Harris and Walz are expected to be formally nominated by their political party later this month during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
It was the second event Harris and Walz held in Detroit this week, following rally that drew more than 15,000 people to a hangar at Detroit Metro Airport on Wednesday. Several Democrats spoke at the rally, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids).
UAW President Shawn Fain spoke at both events. On Thursday, he praised the Harris-Walz ticket, saying, “Kamala Harris is one of us.”
“This election is about choosing whether we continue or retreat,” Fain added. “This is a ‘which side are you on’ moment, and the choice couldn’t be clearer.”
Local 900 represents thousands of members at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, one of the three original Stand Up Strike locals that marched outside in September 2023. These members were at the forefront of the strike that brought the “Detroit Three” to the negotiating table and secured contracts for 150,000 auto workers nationwide.
“At the end of the day, we all know that we rise and fall together,” Local 900 President Dwayne Walker said. “And that’s why we have to be involved in this process. It’s now or never. We may never have this opportunity again. We have to come together and we have to be proactive.”
UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson said Harris “understands that all UAW members want to earn an honest living, feed their families and put their children through college.”
According to a UAW press release, the UAW International Executive Council voted last week to endorse Harris, citing her “history of supporting the UAW and the working class, opposing anti-worker trade agreements and standing up to corporate greed.”
GET MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
SUBSCRIBE
Michigan’s Progress is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) charitable organization. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. For questions, contact editor Susan J. Demas: [email protected]. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook AND X.
