Harris Lends her Voice to “Liberty” at UAW Union Meeting

On her campaign visit to Wayne, VP Kamala Harris gave a powerful speech to a packed crowd of United Auto Workers (UAW) about the importance of collective bargaining rights and work conditions on Thursday afternoon. She was accompanied by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

“We hold dear the principles of fairness, dignity for all, and the freedom and liberty to make our own choices, especially those that concern our families and homes“, passionately said Harris to the auto workers crammed inside their union hall. “And definitely without intrusion from the government“.

She continued, “We believe in collective unity. We don’t fall for those trying to tear us apart, that’s not where our strength lies“.

The VP’s visit to Wayne came hot on the heels of her Wednesday night rally at the Romulus Detroit Metro Airport. That was also her first visit to Michigan since Biden stepped down, endorsing her for the presidency.

Her economic focus then later shifted to the crucial importance of unions and the middle class on this campaign trail. She also emphasized on how the auto industry lays ahead in the next four years due to a number of legislation affecting electric vehicles and policies on union organization’s bargaining rights.

Some opinionated comments came in the aftermath of her speech. Victoria LaCivita, the Trump Michigan communications director called Harris’s campaign “insulting” and derided her for not addressing more crucial issues that Michigan folks apparently lose sleep over – economic disasters, potential world conflicts and border issues.

Harris was introduced to the crowd by Shawn Fain, the UAW president. “They are working-class people“, Fain said about Harris and Walz. “They spent their lives serving other people, unlike the competition who always made it about themselves“. Fain went on to criticize Trump, stating, “Donald Trump calls me stupid. You know why? Because he thinks all workers are stupid,“, “But we’re not stupid. We don’t believe in Trump’s alternative facts or what we call lies“.

The UAW, an influential labor union with about 1 million members, endorsed Harris last week. Local 900 of the union represents Ford Auto workers, as Ford is one of the biggest employers for the city’s workers.

In response to Harris’s speech, Shauna Lewis, a local, stated, “I can’t wait to see a woman of color be president. She is supportive of the UAW, and that means so much to us“.

Another local, Mike Rodgers, believes that it’s time to look into the future rather than dwelling on the past. He said, “We’re not looking back. We’re just getting started“.

Tiffanie Simmons, a representative of UAW Local 900, hopes that the future looks bright. “Ever since 2020, it has been a rollercoaster. We hope for better times ahead“, she said.