Hailing auto tariffs, UAW reverses stance on President Trump
The United Auto Workers union, which endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024, has praised the Trump administration's newly imposed tariffs on imported vehicles, signaling a dramatic shift in its political stance.
In a news release issued Wednesday, the UAW hailed the tariffs as "the beginning of the end of a thirty-plus year 'free trade' disaster," referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement and its successor, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
President Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts, addressing what he called "a critical threat to U.S. national security."
"We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades," said UAW President Shawn Fain in the release. "Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions."
The union's praise starkly contrasts with its August 2024 endorsement of Harris, during which Fain characterized then-candidate Donald Trump as "a scab and a lapdog for the billionaires." The 2024 release emphasized Harris's support for workers, highlighting her presence on a picket line.
The UAW's recent statement specifically calls for renegotiating the US- Mexico- Canada Agreement. It demands that a significant portion of cars sold in the U.S. be produced domestically with strong wages and working conditions. The union also seeks a North American minimum wage to elevate pay for Mexican autoworkers and stronger protections against offshoring.
The union contends that the tariffs could lead to the immediate return of thousands of auto jobs to the U.S., citing underutilized plants at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
"These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country, and it is now on the automakers, from the Big Three to Volkswagen and beyond, to bring back good union jobs to the U.S.," Fain said in the recent release.
The UAW also stated that auto companies should absorb the cost of the tariffs and that the federal government should provide financial support to workers while auto jobs are moved back to the U.S.
