Labor leaders reacted to President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the Democratic Party’s candidacy for the 2024 election.
Here are some of their comments.
National Education Association: In a statement, Chancellor Becky Pringle called Biden “an extraordinary president and public servant.” She said Biden “stands out as the most pro-public education, pro-union president in history” and has worked to “ensure all students have access to the resources and learning opportunities they need to thrive.” In her statement, Chancellor Pringle also criticized Republican candidate Donald Trump, saying, “Trump has done nothing to protect students and educators from gun violence and has simply told us to ‘get over it.'”
United Auto Workers: In a statement, the UAW said: He thanked Biden for his service and his “leadership in putting country before himself.”
AFL-CIO: AFL-CIO President He also praised Vice President Kamala Harris, citing her record of supporting unions and calling her “essential” to the success of a Biden administration. “VP Harris ran on a platform that protected pensions for more than a million union members and retirees, expanded the child tax credit to help millions of struggling families, and took on Big Pharma to lower the prices of important prescription drugs like insulin,” Liz Schuler wrote.
AFSCME “History will judge the Biden-Harris Administration as a huge success,” said Lee Sanders.
“Patriotism, sacrifice, service. These are the values by which AFSCME members live. And these are the values that define President Biden’s leadership and make our country and our democracy stronger,” Sanders said.
of Association of Flight Attendants (CWA): Sarah Nelson also praised Biden’s record, saying in a statement, “He has always led with the belief that working people know best. We just need policymakers to give us a chance. Every time flight attendants sit down with Joe Biden, he will treat us, the aviation industry’s first responders and last line of defense, with dignity and respect.”
American Federation of Teachers: Randi Weingarten, head of the nation’s largest teachers union and a member of the Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee, said the federation’s executive committee voted to endorse Harris, but she must be approved by delegates at the AFT convention in 2024. Weingarten noted that Harris “is a strong voice for workers, fighting to restore Roe, fighting for family and student loan relief.”
United Farm Workers: The union endorsed Harris, posting on X: “Kamala Harris has stood with farmworkers as California Attorney General, U.S. Senator and Vice President. There is work to be done, but we are ready. Yes, we can do it!”
Service Employees International Union: The union, known as SEIU, has endorsed Harris’ candidacy. “Vice President Harris’ decades of experience in public service fighting for working families and her historic choice to lead the Democratic nomination as a woman of color and the daughter of immigrant parents make her the best-prepared candidate for president,” the union said in a statement. SEIU is one of the largest labor unions in the United States, with more than 2 million members.
