Gov. Tim Walz had a clear mission Tuesday when he spoke to thousands of public sector union members in Los Angeles: to tout his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ pro-union records, criticize opponents Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance for their “war on workers,” and energize the Democratic base with promises of worker-friendly legislation if their ticket wins in November.
“The only thing those two guys know about working people is how to take advantage of them,” Walz told the more than 4,000 people assembled. “They’ve waged war on workers and their ability to collectively bargain.” Trump has a long record of opposing unions and allegedly stiffing contractors as a businessman. Just this week, Trump praised Elon Musk during a livestream for supposedly firing striking workers, prompting an unfair labor practice charge from the United Auto Workers. (The UAW claimed that both men interfered with workers’ attempts to unionize, though it’s unclear which workers Trump was referencing.) Still, Trump’s campaign has made overtures to union members and featured Teamster President Sean O’Brien at the Republican Convention.
