WAYNE, Michigan (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stressed their support for unions at a Detroit-area union hall on Thursday. The Democratic nominee said “we’re all in this together” as the new slate of candidates draws attention from a crucial voting base.
Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, and Walz, who joined the ticket on Tuesday, spoke to about 100 members of the United Auto Workers at Local 900 Hall, which represents Ford’s assembly plant in Michigan, on Thursday. The stop came shortly after Republican candidate Donald Trump held a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida.
Harris declared that it was “good to be in the labor house” and described the value of unions, saying they were “about the understanding that no one has to fight alone” and that “hard work is good work.”
“We enjoy working 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, and we stand for the 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’s why we’re going to fight for all of this.”
Quoting a popular phrase from President Joe Biden, Walz told workers, “We know that unions built the middle class.”
“The rest of America must do the same,” 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 began striking on Sept. 15 and remained on the picket line until Oct. 25, when the union announced a tentative agreement with Ford.
According to the President Joe Biden When Harris ended his re-election campaign last month and endorsed his vice president, unions quickly rallied behind Harris. The AFL-CIO endorsed her after initially backing Biden. The UAW officially endorsed her last week.
Harris and Walz have made their first joint appearances this week in some of the most hotly contested states that will help decide whether she becomes the first female US president or whether Trump returns to the White House and Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his vice president.
Trump, Vance and other Republicans have increasingly criticized Harris for not engaging with reporters and answering questions in the early days of her candidacy. In a brief exchange with reporters before leaving Michigan, Harris said she had spoken to her staff and planned to schedule an interview before the end of the month.
She also confirmed that she would participate in a debate on ABC News on September 10 – an appearance that Trump had previously canceled before reaffirming his participation during his press conference in Palm Beach on Thursday morning – and said she would “love to” talk about subsequent debates after this one takes place.
Democrats visited Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday in the hope of solidifying the support of the younger, diverse and pro-worker voters who have been instrumental in Biden be elected in 2020.
Two new polls of likely voters in Wisconsin And Georgia, another important state, show close races in both. Several GeorgiaSurveys A poll conducted earlier this summer found Trump slightly ahead in the state that Biden narrowly won in 2020.
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UAW President Shawn Fain told the Associated Press last week that Harris’ leadership on the Democratic ticket boosts 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 reverse in a second term.
On Thursday, Fain welcomed the candidates to the “Workers’ House” and mobilized the labor movement, saying: “Kamala Harris is one of us. Governor Tim Walz is one of us.” He also praised her pro-union record.
“This is not about opinions. This election is not about party politics,” Fain said. “We just need to look at the words and actions of these candidates. That’s all the facts we need.”
Fain also spoke at Harris’ campaign rally at an airport hangar near Detroit on Wednesday. The UAW chairman has become one of the Republican presidential candidate’s main enemies, frequently railing against Fain at rallies and in speeches.
Vance stopped in Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday to show that Republicans are competitive in the “blue wall” of Midwestern states. He called Walz a “crazy radical” and said Harris’ decision to pick him as running mate showed she was “bend[ing]the knee to the far left wing of the Democratic Party.”
As Harris spoke to a crowd of an estimated 15,000 people at the airport, It was interrupted by demonstrators against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. First, Harris told those who tried to disrupt her: “I’m here because I believe in democracy and every vote counts.”
But Harris lost patience as the shouting continued and protesters accused her of supporting the genocide in Gaza, prompting her to issue a sharper retort.
“If you want Donald Trump to win, say so,” she said, drowning out the protesters. “Otherwise, I’ll speak.”
The Detroit metropolitan area, home to one of the largest Arab-American populations in the United States, has become a flashpoint of tension and unrest due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Shortly after her comments Wednesday, Harris won the endorsement of Wayne County Deputy Executive Assad I. Turfe, the highest-ranking Arab-American official in Michigan’s largest county. Turfe told The Associated Press that he spoke with Harris backstage before his endorsement.
“Kamala Harris embodies the America we deserve – an America that stands for strength, inclusivity and an unwavering commitment to justice,” Turfe said in a statement. “I wholeheartedly endorse Kamala Harris as she represents the true spirit of our nation and the values we hold dear.”
Turfe also stressed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, but added that Harris “offers us the best chance to achieve peace in this region in the future.”
Union members attending the rally said they supported Harris.
Jeanne Ruff of Livonia, Michigan, whose husband is a longtime UAW member, said she hoped Harris would visit a union plant in Michigan to show her support.
“I want her to ensure that skilled trades return to schools so that the next generation understands what unions are all about. What solidarity is and how strong we can be when we pull together,” Ruff said.
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Cappelletti reported from Lansing, Michigan, and Kim from Washington. AP auto writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report.
