Aug 08 2024
WAYNE, MI – Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz joined UAW members and leaders at UAW Local 900’s union hall in Wayne, Michigan, to discuss the issues that matter to working class people in this election.
Local 900 represents thousands of members at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, one of the three original Stand Up Strike locals that walked out on September 15, 2023. These members were the leading edge of a strike that brought Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis to the bargaining table and agree to record contracts for 150,000 Big Three autoworkers.
“I am so deeply honored as a lifelong supporter of union labor, for Tim and I to have the endorsement of the UAW,” Vice President Kamala Harris said. “When you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. We stand for the people. We stand for the dignity of work. We stand for justice. We stand for equality. And we will fight for all of it.”
“Thank you for the privilege of walking the picket line with you last year and thank you for allowing us to lift up our voices,” Governor Tim Walz told UAW members in attendance. “The work that you did didn’t just benefit UAW workers – it benefited all workers. So, I couldn’t be prouder to be on this stage and couldn’t be prouder to stand with the UAW.”
“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 need to be involved in this process. It's now or never. We may never have this chance again. We need to be together, and we have to be proactive.”
“We wanted to let Vice President Harris know we got her back,” Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson said. “We’re proud that she stopped by to see us here in Wayne, Michigan. We know she’s with us because she understands that all UAW members want is to make an honest living, feed our families, and put our kids through college.”
“I’m very proud, on behalf of the UAW, to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz to our house – to labor’s house,” UAW President Shawn Fain said. “This election is about a choice, about whether we continue forward or whether we go backward. This is a ‘which side are you on moment,’ and the choice cannot be any clearer.”
The UAW International Executive Board voted to endorse Kamala Harris last week, citing her record of standing with the UAW and working class people, opposing anti-worker trade deals, and taking on corporate greed.
On Wednesday, thousands of UAW members joined tens of thousands of Michiganders in welcoming the Harris-Walz ticket to the state, building a movement to win for the working class in November and beyond.
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JF:sr:opeiu494afl-cio
Krissi Jimroglou
UAW
202-246-2670
kjimroglou@uaw.net
Feldman Strategies, team@feldmanstrategies.com