Vice President Kamala Harris aimed to solidify the backing of organized labor in key “blue wall” states as the holiday weekend concluded. She emphasized that union members faced a clear choice in November between her and former President Donald Trump, who she described as having a track record of hostility toward workers.
An unconventional race, marked by a new name at the top of the ticket and a shortened sprint to the White House, still adhered to one late-summer tradition: politicians appealing to union workers on Labor Day — though Trump held no events.
Harris began her day in Michigan before heading to Pennsylvania, where she will join President Joe Biden in addressing steelworkers at their first campaign event together since Biden announced his withdrawal from the race and endorsed Harris. In Pittsburgh, Harris is expected to advocate for U.S. Steel to remain under domestic ownership, according to a Harris campaign official.
The sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. has drawn political attention amidst efforts to revitalize American manufacturing, with both Biden and Trump voicing opposition to the deal.
The United Steelworkers union, which has endorsed Harris, opposes the effort.
In Detroit, Harris aimed her criticism at Trump, highlighting his record as evidence that he will continue to be hostile to workers.
“As president, we will always remember that Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers and obstructed efforts to raise the minimum wage,” she said. “He appointed union busters to the National Labor Relations Board and supported so-called right-to-work laws.”
As she spoke, union members in the crowd chanted, “Trump’s a scab.”
Neither Trump nor his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, held any public events on Labor Day — a point the Harris campaign was quick to highlight.
In a statement, Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello criticized Trump, saying, “Trump is abandoning workers on Labor Day because he is an anti-worker, anti-union extremist who will betray working families for his billionaire donors if he gains power.”
Earlier on Monday, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, wishing workers a happy Labor Day and touting his administration’s efforts to support American workers during his time in office. He claimed, “Kamala and Biden have undone all of that.”
Harris is working to secure the strong union support that Biden has long enjoyed. Biden, who often describes himself as the most union-friendly president in history, made headlines in 2023 as the first president to walk a picket line.
Unions, including steelworkers, played a crucial role in helping him win Pennsylvania in 2020 and will likely be key to Harris’s success in the upcoming election.
Harris’s campaign emphasized her commitment to protecting American workers, highlighting the selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate as a testament to her union credentials. Walz and his wife are both union members, and his governorship is noted for its pro-worker policies.
In Michigan, Harris received additional support from another Midwestern leader, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who portrayed Trump, born into wealth and now a billionaire, as disconnected from the realities of workers and everyday Americans.
“When he was president, Donald Trump blew a $1 trillion hole in our national deficit to cut taxes for his wealthy friends and corporations,” Whitmer said. “At the same time, he gutted job protections for union workers, made it easier to deny overtime pay, and undermined organizing efforts.”
“If your most famous line is ‘You’re fired,’ you sure as hell don’t understand workers,” she added.
No longer a candidate, Biden reemerges as Harris’s top surrogate
