WAYNE, Mich. – Building on the momentum from last week’s United Auto Workers endorsement, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz held a rally at UAW Local 900 in Wayne on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s good to be in the house of labor,” Harris said.
The appearance marked the second day in a row the Democratic presidential ticket campaigned in Metro Detroit.
Harris shared with UAW members how she spent her whole career fighting for unions and collective bargaining.
“When you know what to stand for you, you know want to fight for,” Harris said. “We know what we stand for, and we stand for the people. We stand for the dignity of work. We stand for justice; we stand for equality. So, we would fight for all of it.”
Harris highlighted the impact unions have had in the United States.
“Even if you’re not a member of the union, you better thank unions for the five-day workweek,” Harris said. “You better thank unions for that eight-hour workday. You better thank unions for that vacation time. So, I’m here to say thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to the sisters and brothers of UAW.”
Walz, who was announced as Harris’s running mate Tuesday (Aug. 6), has strong support among labor unions.
As Harris made her decision, UAW President Shawn Fain offered his support for Walz or Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to join the ticket.
Walz is a former member of the National Education Association, having spent part of his career as a teacher.
“He grew up in Nebraska,” Harris said. “Me, Oakland, California, seemingly worlds apart. But the same people raised good people, hardworking people, people who had pride in their hard work, you know, people who had pride in knowing that we were a community of people who looked out for each other.”
The Republican National Committee said, “Michiganders are fed up with dangerously liberal Democrats like Harris and Walz” in response to Harris and Walz’s campaigning in the state.
--> ‘When we fight, we win’: Kamala Harris holds largest rally of campaign at Detroit Metro Airport
