United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain is once again taking his time before endorsing a candidate in this year’s presidential election. Although he has explicitly stated he does not support former President Donald Trump, Fain has yet to back Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, following President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection.
On July 24, at the American Federation of Teachers conference, Fain criticized Trump, labeling him a “scab” and a “lapdog” for billionaires and asserting that Trump does not represent working people. Fain emphasized the importance of the upcoming election, stating that it will impact every contract negotiation and new organizing campaign and determine the nation’s direction for generations. Despite this, Fain did not mention Harris or Biden in his 20-minute speech.
The UAW endorsed Biden in January after initially withholding support until Fain was satisfied with Biden’s stance on the industry’s transition to electric vehicles. Fain described Biden’s decision not to run as a “bittersweet moment,” calling him the “greatest president of my lifetime.” He praised both Biden and Harris for supporting union picket lines, with Biden appearing on a union picket line last fall and Harris doing the same during a 2019 strike against General Motors.
In a July 22 appearance on MSNBC, Fain explained that the UAW has a process for endorsements and will discuss the path forward in the coming days. He noted that the UAW’s executive board will communicate with the Harris campaign and seek input from members, considering potential vice presidential candidates as well.
“We’re looking at a lot of things right now,” Fain said. “We have an obligation to represent working-class interests. We’re not going to rush in and just throw it out there. We want to have full discussions.”
