Harris, Walz show support for organized labor by appearing at union headquarters in Detroit

WAYNE, Mich. — Vice President Kamala Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, emphasized their support for organized labor at a union headquarters in Detroit on Thursday, with the Democratic candidate saying “we are in this together” as the fresh slate of candidates looks to a key base of support.

Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, and Walz, who joined the group on Tuesday, spoke Thursday to about 100 members of the United Auto Workers at Local 900 Hall, which represents Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant. The arrest came shortly after Republican candidate Donald Trump held a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida.

As she declared that it was “good to be in the workhouse”, Harris described the value of unions, saying they were about “understanding that no one should have to fight alone” and that “hard work is good work”.

“We work hard because we know what we stand for,” she said. “When you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. We know what we stand for, we stand for people, we stand for the dignity of work, and we stand for freedom. We stand for justice. We stand for equality.

She continued: “And that is why we will fight for all of this.”

Walz, echoing a favorite saying of President Joe Biden, told union representatives that “we know that unions built the middle class.

“The rest of America must,” Walz added.

Local 900 members were the first Ford workers to strike in 2023 when the union’s contract with the company expired. Workers at the assembly plant went on strike on Sept. 15 and remained on the picket lines until Oct. 25, when the union announced a tentative agreement with Ford.

After the president Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign last month and endorsed his vice president, organized labor quickly rallied around Harris. The AFL-CIO endorsed her after first endorsing Biden. The UAW formally endorsed her last week.

Harris and Walz emphasized their support for working people during their first joint appearances this week in the most hotly contested states, which will aid decide whether she becomes the first female president of the United States or the Republican Party’s nominee. Donald Trump he returns to the White House and takes with him Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice president.

Democrats visited Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, hoping to strengthen support among younger, diverse voters who favor unions that have played a key role in helping Biden be elected in 2020.

Two fresh polls of likely voters Wisconsin AND Georgia, other key condition, show close races in both. Several Georgiasurveys conducted earlier this summer showed Trump with a narrow lead in the state, while Biden won it narrowly in 2020.

UAW President Shawn Fain he told the Associated Press last week. that Harris, who leads the Democrats, is improving the party’s chances of winning Michigan and keeping the White House in November. Fain said Trump is beholden to billionaires, knows nothing about the auto industry and would drive the labor movement into retreat in a second term.

On Thursday, Fain welcomed the ticket to the “workhouse” and mobilized unionists, shouting, “Kamala Harris is one of us. Gov. Tim Walz is one of us” and praising their pro-worker record.

“This is not a matter of opinion. This election is not a matter of party politics,” Fain said. “All we have to do is look at these candidates in their own words and actions. Those are all the facts we need.”

Fain also spoke at a Harris campaign rally at a Detroit airport hangar on Wednesday. The UAW leader has become a major foe of the GOP presidential candidate, who frequently criticizes Fain at rallies and in speeches.

Vance visited Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday, seeking to show that Republicans will compete in the Midwestern “blue wall.” He called Walz a “crazy radical” and said Harris’ decision to pick him as her vice presidential candidate shows she is “bowing a knee to the far left of the Democratic Party.”

As Harris spoke to a crowd of about 15,000 people at the airport, was interrupted by protesters opposing Israel’s war in Gaza with Hamas. Harris initially told those who tried to stop her: “I’m here because I believe in democracy, and everyone’s voice matters.”

But Harris lost her patience as the shouting continued and protesters accused her of supporting genocide in Gaza, prompting her to issue a harsher response.

“If you want Donald Trump to win, then say so,” she said, shouting over the protesters. “Otherwise, I say so.”

The Detroit metropolitan area, home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the United States, has become a hotbed of tension and unrest due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Shortly after her remarks Wednesday, Harris won the endorsement of Wayne County Deputy Executive Assad I. Turfe, who is the highest-ranking Arab official in Michigan’s largest county. Turfe told The Associated Press that he spoke with Harris backstage at the event before endorsing it.

“Kamala Harris embodies the America we deserve — an America that represents strength, inclusiveness, and an unwavering commitment to justice,” Turfe said in a statement. “I wholeheartedly support Kamala Harris because she represents the true spirit of our nation and the values ​​we hold dear.”

Turfe also insisted on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, but said Harris “gives us the best chance of achieving peace in the region in the future.”

Union members attending the rally said they support Harris.

Jeanne Ruff of Livonia, Michigan, whose husband is a longtime UAW member, said she hopes Harris will visit a union location in Michigan to show her support.

“I want her to make sure that job skills classes come back into schools so that the next generation can understand what unions are all about. What solidarity is and how strong we can be together when we work as one,” Ruff said.