In its endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president, the United Auto Workers Union condemned likely GOP nominee Donald Trump for not having the best interests of union members and their families at heart.
“Mr. Trump clearly does not support the economic security of UAW families,” said UAW President Dennis Williams in a statement Wednesday, which cited Trump’s push for moving union jobs to “low-paying” nonunion states to compete with Mexican factory jobs.
The union also said Trump, along with all the other Republican presidential candidates, did not take a questionnaire provided to contenders in both parties.
UAW has chided Trump previously. Back in August Williams called Trump an “enemy” of the American middle class.
Despite losing out on the union’s endorsement, Trump does have some support among its ranks. A recent internal survey showed 28 percent of UAW members indicated they would vote for Trump. His criticism of the North American Free Trade Agreement and slapping taxes on companies moving out of the country have made him attractive to some working-class voters.
The union, which has about 400,000 active members announced that it is backing Clinton because of her commitment to unions and job security.
Clinton “understands our issues on trade, understands the complexities of multinational economies and supports American workers, their families and communities,” said Williams.
The union also shared some praise for Clinton’s primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who the union said brought to the campaign a “dialogue that has been needed for far too long.”
“He has been, and remains, a great friend of the UAW, and of working men and women in this country,” the union said. “But, the fact is, Hillary Clinton has shown under pressure her ability to lead and get elected in November.”
Clinton, who leads Sanders by hundreds of delegates in the Democratic primary race, also has the vast majority of national labor union endorsements.
