{"id":2328966,"date":"2024-08-22T05:53:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T09:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-lean-on-labor-leaders-to-beat-back-union-shift-to-trump-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-22T05:58:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T09:58:56","slug":"democrats-lean-on-labor-leaders-to-beat-back-union-shift-to-trump-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-lean-on-labor-leaders-to-beat-back-union-shift-to-trump-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats lean on labor leaders to beat back union shift to Trump &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-lean-on-labor-leaders-to-beat-back-union-shift-to-trump-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2328966&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-randomly-makes-up-story-about-being-born-in-same-hospital-his-grandfather-died-at-weeks-prior\/\" title=\"Biden Randomly Makes Up Story About Being Born in Same Hospital His Grandfather Died at Weeks Prior\">current political strategies<\/a> \u2062of the Democrats as they aim to\u2064 maintain \u200ctheir\u2062 support among labor unions in light of former \u2064President Donald Trump&#8217;s increasing\u200c appeal to this \u2062voter bloc. \u2062With Trump attempting to\u200b leverage his previous gains \u200damong union members through protectionist policies and portraying Democrats as out-of-touch,\u200d Democrats are countering by empowering union leaders to rally support for Vice President Kamala\u200d Harris. At \u200dthe recent \u200bDemocratic National Convention, union leaders \u200dpublicly criticized\u200b Trump, emphasizing solidarity with the working class.<\/p>\n<p>Key figures\u200c include Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, who criticized Trump during the convention,\u200d while Teamsters President Sean O\u2019Brien \u200bfaced being sidelined for \u2062his \u200dapparent \u2062openness\u2062 to Trump. Despite near-universal union support for Harris, the article highlights that unions, particularly the Teamsters, are not guaranteed to \u2063back her or Biden, with some members \u2064expressing dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>The article further \u2063addresses how some of Trump&#8217;s\u2064 policies might resonate \u2063with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nbc-poll-shows-gop-becoming-party-of-blue-collar-workers\/\" title=\"NBC Poll Shows GOP Becoming Party Of Blue-Collar Workers\">blue-collar voters<\/a>, particularly in swing states,\u200d and suggests that if he \u200ccan appeal to union members\u200b without alienating conservatives and moderate voters, it could significantly affect \u2062the\u2062 election outcome. However, experts\u200d note that the Democrats should not take the union vote for granted, given the changing dynamics and the\u2064 potential for Republicans to make inroads among these voters.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Democrats lean on labor leaders to beat back union shift to Trump<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1734747\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-party\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrats<\/a>&nbsp;are working to keep a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/unions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">critical voting bloc<\/a>&nbsp;in their camp come November, and they are increasingly relying on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/unions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"core constituencies\">union<\/a> leaders for help.<\/p>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> is hoping to build on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/09\/22\/donald-trump-union-support-snub-joe-biden-418329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>gains<\/a> he made with rank-and-file members of organized labor through his protectionist policies and attempts to paint the Democrats as out-of-touch elites.<\/p>\n<p>But Democrats are seeking to counter those efforts by giving a big platform to the heads of unions, while seemingly punishing those who express openness to the GOP&rsquo;s populist shift. <\/p>\n<p>The strategy could be seen at the Democratic National Convention, where Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, led the crowd in calling Trump a &ldquo;scab&rdquo; and &ldquo;lapdog of the billionaire class.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kamala Harris is one of us,&rdquo; Fain said in a Monday night speech. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a fighter for the working class. And Donald Trump is a scab.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Teamsters President Sean O&rsquo;Brien was apparently snubbed from speaking at the convention, a decision largely attributed to his openness to Trump. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3084127\/trumps-rnc-solidifies-union-push-vance-pick-teamsters-speech\/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1724275006966120&amp;usg=AOvVaw2DdKTswV7CBNtCUp_LJe7I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"made waves\">made waves<\/a> in July for agreeing to speak at the Republican National Convention.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I could take it personally, but I honestly think maybe my invitation got lost in the U.S. Postal Service,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Brien quipped to Fox News this week. &ldquo;Next time they should try to ship with UPS &mdash; it&rsquo;ll guarantee delivery.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Teamsters are a largely male union of 1.3 million members consisting of truckers and UPS drivers, a more Trump-friendly bunch than labor groups representing teachers or service workers.<\/p>\n<p>While almost all non<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-rnc-solidifies-union-push-with-vance-pick-and-teamsters-speech-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump\u2019s RNC solidifies union push with Vance pick and Teamsters speech - Washington Examiner\">-law enforcement unions<\/a> have endorsed Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Kamala Harris<\/a>, the Trump campaign still believes it has an opportunity to make inroads by highlighting illegal immigration and the Biden administration&rsquo;s rules on electric vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Look, I think that my message to Shawn Fain and any other leader of the labor movement &mdash; who is the campaign, which campaign is actually going to protect the jobs of American workers, union and nonunion alike?&rdquo; Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) said Tuesday in response to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3127965\/vance-responds-uaw-president-criticism-union-voters-will-back-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"question from the Washington Examiner\">question from the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the campaign of Donald J. Trump.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Fain has become a bigger thorn in Trump&rsquo;s side in recent weeks. His organization filed labor charges after the former president appeared to speak approvingly of X CEO Elon Musk&rsquo;s reputation as a ruthless job cutter.<\/p>\n<p>The feud has prompted a back-and-forth with Trump, who maintains that the union membership is with him even if the leaders are not.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I watched this union head. He&rsquo;s an incompetent guy,&rdquo; Trump said on Tuesday at an event in Michigan. &ldquo;Every auto worker here will be out of a job within three years if I&rsquo;m not elected.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump has an uphill battle to win over union support, but even marginal inroads could prove pivotal to the outcome of the election. His entrance onto the political scene has prompted lawmakers including Vance and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) to take a populist turn. Both have both joined union picket lines over the last year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Some of Trump&rsquo;s policies, like increasing tariffs, may appeal to some blue-collar voters in places like Pennsylvania, but could risk turning off middle-class voters who will pay higher prices for imported goods,&rdquo; said Alex Conant, communications manager for Sen. Marco Rubio&rsquo;s (R-FL) 2016 campaign. &ldquo;If Trump can win union voters while not losing conservatives and swing voters, he will likely win a second term.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Christian Ferry, deputy campaign manager for John McCain, similarly saw an opportunity for Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The populist shift in the Republican Party has definitely made the fight for union members more competitive,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Democrats have shown through their convention programming that the union vote is not one they are taking for granted.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The DNC did have other Teamsters members take the stage Tuesday night, with a big group pledging their support to Harris. Still, Dan Bowling, who teaches labor courses at Georgia State University, said the Democrats cannot take the union vote for granted given Harris does not have the same blue-collar appeal as President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>The Teamsters are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/blow-biden-teamsters-consider-no-endorsement-2024-race-2024-07-15\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reportedly<\/a> considering not backing either <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nolte-polls-show-hobbled-biden-limping-into-sotu-trailing-trump-in-rematch\/\" title=\"Nolte: Polls Show Hobbled Biden Limping Into SOTU, Trailing Trump in Rematch\">major party candidate<\/a> in the election.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Refusing to let the Teamsters president speak is a major diss, and probably not a wise one,&rdquo; Bowling said. &ldquo;Attracting union voters for a California lawyer (Harris) is very different than for a Scranton Joe with a union background.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, left-leaning groups believe Democrats still have the upper hand. The Center for American Progress released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanprogressaction.org\/article\/since-2020-union-member-support-for-democrats-has-increased\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"report\">report<\/a> at the end of July finding that union support has only increased for the party since 2020.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s speech at the RNC has threatened to make him a pariah of the Left. He said at the convention that he was considered a &ldquo;traitor&rdquo; for the move. But he maintained in his remarks that he&rsquo;s looking for support for his union members, not from any particular political party.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Teamsters are not interested in whether you have an &lsquo;R&rsquo; or a &lsquo;D&rsquo; beside your name,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Brien said. &ldquo;We want to know one thing &mdash; what are you doing to help American workers?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1734747\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1734747\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats are turning to labor leaders to maintain a vital voting bloc ahead of the November elections. They are increasingly depending on union heads for support as former President Donald Trump aims to capitalize on his previous gains among rank-and-file union members by promoting protectionist policies and portraying Democrats as disconnected elites. In response, Democrats are amplifying the voices of union leaders while seemingly sidelining those who show any inclination towards the GOP&#8217;s populist agenda.<\/p>\n<p>This strategy was evident at the Democratic National Convention, where Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, led attendees in denouncing Trump as a &#8220;scab&#8221; and &#8220;lapdog of the billionaire class.&#8221; Fain praised Vice President Kamala Harris as a champion for working-class interests during his speech. Conversely, Teamsters President Sean O\u2019Brien was reportedly excluded from speaking at the convention due to his willingness to engage with Trump; he had previously stirred controversy by agreeing to speak at the Republican National Convention.<\/p>\n<p>The Teamsters represent 1.3 million members primarily composed of truckers and UPS drivers\u2014groups that may be more receptive to Trump&#8217;s message than unions representing teachers or service workers. While most non-law enforcement unions have endorsed Harris, Trump&#8217;s campaign believes it can still make inroads by focusing on issues like illegal immigration and electric vehicle regulations under Biden&#8217;s administration.<\/p>\n<p>Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) emphasized that Trump&#8217;s campaign is committed to protecting American jobs for both unionized and non-unionized workers. Meanwhile, Fain has become an increasing challenge for Trump after filing labor charges related to comments made about Elon Musk\u2019s job-cutting reputation.<\/p>\n<p>Trump faces significant challenges in winning over union support; however, even slight gains could be crucial in determining election outcomes. His political rise has prompted some lawmakers like Vance and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) to adopt more populist stances themselves by joining union picket lines over recent months.<\/p>\n<p>Experts note that while some of Trump&#8217;s policies might resonate with blue-collar voters\u2014such as increased tariffs\u2014they could alienate middle-class voters concerned about rising prices on imported goods. If Trump manages to attract union voters without losing conservative or swing voters, he may secure a second term.<\/p>\n<p>Despite concerns about appealing specifically through Harris\u2014a California lawyer lacking Biden&#8217;s blue-collar background\u2014left-leaning organizations believe Democrats still hold an advantage among unions based on recent trends showing increased support since 2020.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Brien\u2019s appearance at the RNC has put him at odds with many on the Left; he acknowledged being labeled a &#8220;traitor&#8221; but insisted his focus remains solely on advocating for his members rather than aligning with any political party ideology: \u201cThe Teamsters don\u2019t care if you\u2019re an \u2018R\u2019 or \u2018D\u2019; we want action that benefits American workers.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2635,"featured_media":2328967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Shawn-Fain-DNC.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[3685,38921,3634,4701,32076],"class_list":["post-2328966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-democrats","tag-labor-leaders","tag-trump","tag-union","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Shawn-Fain-DNC.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2635"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2328966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2328966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2328966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2328966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}