WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden met Wednesday with the executive committee of the AFL-CIO, America’s largest labor union federation, seeking to solidify support from a key constituency amid a wave of calls for him to step down in the 2024 presidential race.
“I consider you guys my domestic NATO. I’m not kidding.” 81-year-old Democrat “I’m not going to lie,” Trump said to the crowd at the headquarters. He praised the power of unions, told them he has supported them for years and that even Wall Street recognizes their power, and reiterated his vision for building an economy that is “bottom up, middle out.”
“I said I would be the most pro-union president in American history,” Biden told a cheering crowd. “And guess what? I am.”
The AFL-CIO had planned for the president to attend the conference more than a year ago, but his attendance was delayed. Weak debate performance The protests against Donald Trump have raised concerns about whether he will be able to compete in the November election. NATO Summit In Washington, Biden is conducting geopolitical negotiations with other world leaders.
Biden spoke into a handheld microphone – there was no teleprompter in sight – and thanked union leaders for their support and outlined his plans to address doubts about his reelection. Biden is close to many of the union leaders in the room and considers AFL-CIO President Liz Schuller a personal friend.
At Biden’s announcement, Schuller told the crowd that Biden has supported jobs, manufacturing and creating good union jobs in clean energy. She made it clear to the president that Biden has the support of unions.
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“You’ve always had our backs, and we’ll have your backs,” Schuller told the president.
The council is made up of more than 50 officials from unions that make up the AFL-CIO, a group that represents 12.5 million members.
So far, unions have backed a Biden administration despite widespread concerns that Biden’s age would hurt his standing as a candidate after his shaky performance in the June 27 debate. But some of their endorsements have also been diplomatic, suggesting some flexibility in case Biden chooses to pull out — saying they’ll support the Biden-Harris administration, not just Biden personally.
After Biden was interviewed by ABC News following his lackluster debate performance last week, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, posted on X: “Biden is a great president and tonight we saw he has his finger on the details. I support him and am ready to continue working towards a Biden-Harris victory in November.”
Some labor leaders have become more supportive of Biden and his continued candidacy.
United Steelworkers President David McCaul said ahead of Wednesday’s meeting that the union “proudly supports” Biden and that “his track record of serving working people speaks for itself.”
Kenneth Cooper, president of the International Union of Electrical Workers, also strongly endorsed Biden, saying union members “couldn’t ask for a stronger advocate.”
Wednesday’s meeting was a test of the union movement’s strategy to highlight Biden’s policy agenda to dispel doubts about his candidacy. Biden regularly Hold an event at the union hallHe has had regular conversations with several union leaders at Wednesday’s meeting and knows they see unions as a key bridge to connect with voters at the local level and as a Democratic front-runner in November.
Throughout his term, Biden has tied his administration to the idea that unions built the middle class. Picket Line During the auto strike, he supported and opposed the steelworkers union. Nippon Steel Corporation They bought U.S. Steel and were saved. Trade union pensions He sided with unions on new rules that would allow more workers to access benefits as part of pandemic aid. Overtime pay.
Biden cares so much about union members that he recently canceled a planned speech to the Trade Union Congress. National Education Association In Philadelphia, union staff declared a strike and formed picket lines.
One person familiar with labor movement thinking said while it’s recognized that Biden lost support among voters after the debate, unions realized that one-on-one conversations about Biden’s policies are more important to their members and their families than his age or health. The unions’ argument is that Biden’s policies have directly helped their members, but Trump’s plan could make them worse off.
The AFL-CIO has filed 42 specific objections to Trump’s term in office, which runs from 2017 to 2021. The group noted that Trump, a Republican who recently proposed making tips paid to workers tax-free, also implemented a proposal during his presidency that would have allowed employers to pocket employee tips, as well as concerns about Trump’s efforts to cut taxes and restrict unionization.
Trump has also been focusing on winning over union members. He met with Teamsters union officials in January. He then said that while Republicans generally don’t get support from labor unions, “that’s not my case. I employ thousands of Teamsters and I thought we should go out and show our respect.”
The former president has portrayed himself as a supporter of blue-collar workers, and Teamsters President Sean O’Brien later said there was “no question” that Trump has some support from union members. O’Brien said: Republican National Convention It will be held in Milwaukee next week at the invitation of President Trump.
In 2020, 16% of voters came from union households, and of those, 56% supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast. Biden and Trump essentially split non-union households in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, meaning the Democratic advantage among union households was likely a key factor in his victory.
