Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Lansing, MI
UAW Local 652
Lansing, Michigan
5:31 P.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hey, everybody. Hey. (Applause.) Hey, everyone. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, everyone.
Oh, it’s good to be in the house of labor. Good afternoon. (Applause.) Good afternoon.
Ben, I want to thank you for your leadership. I just said to him, I mean, what a leader he is. You know, I just — first of all, it’s so good to be in the house of labor, and it’s so good to be with people who understand the dignity of work and fight for it every day. And it’s not an easy fight, but it’s a good fight.
And I thank you for all that you do, Ben, and everybody who is here. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
So, it’s wonderful to be back in Michigan and to be with so many incredible leaders, including, of course, Representative Slotkin. Where is she? She’s — there you are. (Applause.) Who we must elect to the United States Senate. (Applause.) And we will. I’m counting on that.
State Senator Hertel, let’s send him to the United States House of Representatives. (Applause.) There you are.
And a special thanks to the brothers and sisters of United Auto Workers. Thank you for all that you are, all that you do, and the warm welcome. (Applause.)
And, of course, for generations in Lansing and across our country, union members have helped lead the fight for fair pay, better benefits, and safe working conditions, and every person in our nation has benefited from your work.
You know, everywhere I go, I tell people, you may not be a union member, but you better thank unions — (applause) — for the five-day work week, for sick leave, for paid family leave and vacation time, because we are all clear: Collective bargaining benefits our entire nation — our entire nation. (Applause.)
Because here’s the deal. When union wages go up, everybody’s wages go up. When union workplaces are safer, everyone’s workplace is safer. So, thank a union. (Applause.) Thank a union.
And the bottom line is when unions are strong, America is strong. Unions have always fought to make our nation more equal, more fair, and more free. And in this election, everything we have fought for, for years in this movement — in this movement, for unions and for labor, is on the line.
And I’m about to talk about it in real terms because we always have real talk with each other, and your members can afford nothing less, which has been why I appreciate your leadership.
This election is about two very different visions for our nation: one that’s trying to take us backward — him — and ours that is about moving forward and about the future. (Applause.) We fight — we fight for a future where we protect the freedom to organize, where we understand the importance of collective bargaining.
You know, I sometimes say to young people — and, by the way, have you noticed how, when you look at the polling, younger workers coming into the workforce, they get it and they understand the power and the nobility of unions.
And I always say to people, look, here’s the thing about collective bargaining. Everybody should want that, when there’s a negotiation, the outcome would be fair. Right? Who’s going to argue with that? Everybody should want that — that there will be a fair outcome in a negotiation.
All right. So, if we start from there — we’re all reasonable people — then let’s think about it. If you’re talking about the worker, the one worker trying to negotiate against the corporation, is that outcome going to be fair?
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No. The disparity in power is too great. So, collective bargaining, it’s a simple, simple and important point. You let the workers organize so that the collective, together, who have the same concerns, the same issues, can be banded together to have equal power in a negotiation, because the whole point is the outcome of the negotiation should be fair. That’s what collective bargaining is about. That’s what unions are about. (Applause.)
It’s about basic fairness, and it’s about the dignity of work, understanding all workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. That’s what we’re talking about when we talk about this movement and the strength of the movement and the importance of keeping it going.
We talk about, then, our knowledge about the importance of building a future where we tap into the ambition of the American people, where we build what I call an “opportunity economy” — right? — so every American has an opportunity to own a home, to buy a car, to build wealth, to start a business.
And I will always — it is my pledge to you — put the middle class and working people first. I come from the middle class, and I will never forget where I come from. (Applause.) I will never forget where I come from. I know where I come from.
Hard work is good work. Hard work is good work and must receive the value to which it is due, which means understanding the value of the worker. (Applause.)
And we know we cannot have a strong middle class without American manufacturing. Over the last three and a half years, we brought manufacturing back to America, creating 730,000 manufacturing jobs — (applause) — with your help — with your help. We announced the opening of more than 20 new auto plants in the United States, and we did it by investing in American industry and American workers. (Applause.)
And I will make sure America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century. (Applause.)
So, under my plan, it’s about investing in the industries that built America, like steel, iron, the great American auto industry. And we will ensure that the next generation of breakthroughs, from advanced batteries to electric vehicles, are not just invented but built right here in America by American union workers. (Applause.) Because it is they and you who have proven how to get the job done. (Applause.)
And as part of that vision, we will invest in manufacturing communities like Lansing. We will retool existing factories, hire locally, and work with unions to create good-paying jobs, including, by the way, jobs that do not require a college degree.
And I’mma tell you why. And I’mma tell you why, because I’m really clear that a college degree is not the only measure of the skills and experience of the qualified worker, and we need to understand — (applause) — we need to understand that.
In fact, it is my pledge that, as president, I’m going to do a critical assessment of federal jobs to look at those that don’t require a college degree so we can start talking about good jobs based on the skill and experience of the worker and not random measures of who can do what. And I plan on, then, challenging the private sector to do the same. (Applause.)
And we will importantly protect the pensions of union workers and retirees. (Applause.) Again, it’s about the dignity of work, which includes the dignity of retirement. After a lifetime of working hard, let’s talk about the dignity of retirement, the dignity of aging.
And that’s why, as attorney general, I sued the big banks to return hundreds of millions of dollars to workers and their families after their pensions were mismanaged. This is not new to me. I’ve done that work.
As a United States senator, I pushed for legislation to rescue workers’ pensions without cutting the benefits that workers had earned.
And, as vice president, I worked alongside then-Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and we, for a year, worked on what we needed to do with the federal workforce, which was in our direct power, to increase the ability for collective bargaining and to ensure that they have all the resources they need to grow in terms of organizing.
As vice president, I also helped to do the long overdue work to protect the pensions of more than 1 million union members. And yesterday, I announced the protection of the full earned pension benefits of more than 22,500 union workers and retirees in Michigan under the Detroit Carpenters’ Pension Fund. (Applause.)
Because, again, just to put a fine point on it, when it comes to your pension or Social Security or Medicare, these are retirement benefits you have earned. This is not about a giveaway. You’ve earned it. And it must be protected, and it must be respected — after decades of hard work, that you receive it. And honoring these benefits must be an ironclad commitment. (Applause.)
Now — now let’s talk about, you know, the guy on the other side. Let’s talk about Donald Trump for a minute. Shall we? So —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And because he has a very different view. Now, in all seriousness, he has a very different view of workers, of hard work, of the dignity of work. You guys — we know it. We know it.
He tries to, you know, do his rhetorical thing at — at rallies like he understands what it means to earn a living. No, you understand what I’m saying. He pretends that he understands workers and the hard work and the battle workers face every day to get their due wages and benefits.
Well, we’re not falling for the okey-doke, because we know — we know what he has said, and we know what he has done. (Applause.) He who called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. He called it a Ponzi scheme. He recommended we raise the retirement age to 70. Can you imagine, if you are required to work to 70? He who intends to cut Social Security and Medicare?
You know, we know how many people — their only source of income is their social security check. Talk about — right? — is the value about dignity in retirement, dignity in aging. And remember, he was the only one — he said he was going to be the only one who could bring back America’s manufacturing jobs. You know how he talks. (Deepens voice.) “I’m the only one,” right? (Laughter.) You know how he talks. (Laughter and applause.)
And then, because we’re too busy watching what he’s doing to hear what he’s saying, we know America lost nearly 200,000 manufacturing jobs when he was president — okay? — including tens of thousands of jobs right here in Michigan. And those losses, we know and we’ll note, started before the pandemic — okay? — making Donald Trump one of the biggest —
AUDIENCE: Losers!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — losers of manufacturing jobs in American history.
And his track record for the auto industry was a disaster. He promised workers in Warren that the auto industry would — I’m going to quote — “not lose one plant” under his presidency. Then American automakers announced the closure of six auto plants when he was president, including General Motors in Warren and Stellantis in Detroit. Thousands of Michigan autoworkers lost their jobs.
And if he wins again, we can expect there would be more of the same, because we know what he has done. And we know that we’re going to focus on the work, not the words, when it comes to Donald Trump, and we know where he took us the last time.
And check this out. Donald Trump’s current running mate — because you know the job was open, right? (Laughter.) You know, like, when people go for an interview — especially the young people, they’ll go for an interview, and they’ll sit down and they’re in the interview, and they’ll say, “Why is the job open?” (Laughter.) Well, we know why that job was open. (Laughter.)
So, Donald Trump’s running mate recently suggested that if they win, they would threaten the Grand River Assembly plant right here in Lansing —
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — the same plant that, with your help, our administration protected earlier this year, saving 650 union jobs. (Applause.) Right?
And I do believe some of the union workers from Grand River are here with us today. So, you know what I’m ta- — (applause) — so, you know I’m talking about. You know what I’m talking about. And Trump’s running mate called your jobs “table scraps,” right?
So, let me just say — needless to say — I will always have your back — (applause) — and will keep fighting to make sure that you keep your jobs right here in Lansing and keep these most noble and important jobs for America’s strength. That’s the work you all do.
You know, Donald Trump, he also promised that he was going to stop offshoring. Remember that? Then he cut taxes for corporations that shipped 200,000 jobs overseas during his presidency — cut the taxes for those corporations — okay? — and awarded nearly half a trillion dollars in federal contracts to companies that were offshoring jobs. Okay? Follow the money.
He gave your tax dollars to companies that were sending your jobs overseas. And we got to get the word out to all of the brothers and sisters in labor to remind them of what this dude does — right? — what he actually does. (Applause.)
Because, make no mistake, Donald Trump is no friend to labor.
AUDIENCE: No!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: He is no friend to labor, and we’ve got to listen to what he says. Know that — you know that famous saying: Listen when people tell you who they are.
In fact, can we roll the clip? (Laughter.) Let’s see. There we —
(A video clip is played.)
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right? Right. Right.
So, of course, that last bit, he was talking about Shawn Fain, who — who represents nearly a million active and retired autoworkers. Okay? So, that’s about a million autoworkers, active and retired.
Donald Trump — listen to his words: He’s saying that autoworkers are essentially engaged in child’s play, that children could do it. Listen to what he says.
I’m telling you, he — you know, he’s got his club, and I’m going to tell you, union workers are not part of his club. Let’s be clear about that. No matter what he does at his rallies, let’s be clear about that, right?
He thinks that the value of your work is essentially meaningless. That’s what he’s saying, to compare it to child’s work?
When we here know the work you do is complex. You do it with great care. You work hard. You are highly skilled. You are highly trained. And the best autoworkers in the world is who you are — the best in the world — (applause) — the best in the world.
And the fact is, Donald Trump’s comments are the talk of someone who has had everything handed to him.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: That’s exactly right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I know it’s right. (Laughter.) It is — I know. It is.
This man, you know, who never had to work a job that came with calloused hands or an hourly wage — right? — someone who got handed $400 million on a silver platter and did what with it? Filed bankruptcy six times. (Applause.) Come on. Come on.
He will never understand the life of a United Auto Worker — he will never understand that — people who work hard for everything they have, who take great pride in a job well done, who understand what it represents to their family and the future of their family. Again, I go back to the dignity of hard work.
So, let us be clear. Donald Trump’s insults to American workers is not exclusive to that video. Okay? So, that was just a moment. Kind of think of it as the commercial break in my speech. (Laughter.)
But his comments are not only that, because Donald Trump has been a union buster his entire career. He has called union leaders, quote, “Dues Sucking” people. Okay? He said that he supports so-called right-to-work laws, quote, “100 percent.” Okay? He bragged and joked with a billionaire buddy about mass firing striking workers and lowered labor standards and made it easier for companies that break the laws to get federal contracts.
Donald Trump encouraged automakers of Michigan so they could pay their workers less — encouraged them to move so they could pay their workers less. Okay? And when the UAW went on strike to demand the higher wages you deserve, Donald Trump went to a nonunion shop and attacked the UAW. He said striking and collective bargaining don’t make, and I’m going to quote, “a damn bit of difference.”
So, here’s the bottom line, Donald Trump’s track record is a disaster for working people. And he is, I believe, an existential threat to America’s labor movement. And everything he intends to do, if he is reelected, is also spelled out in that Project 2025.
So, to read it and to know it is to know he intends to launch a full-on attack on unions and the freedom to organize. Okay? He will ban public-sector unions, roll back workplace safety protections. Read it when you have some time. Google it, everybody who’s watching. Look, mak- — he will make it easier for companies to deny overtime pay for workers and appoint a union buster to run the Department of Labor. Be sure of that. Be sure of that.
So, to all the friends here, I say what you already know. It’s time to turn the page. (Applause.) Let’s just turn the page. (Applause.) Turn the page. (Laughs.) Because America is ready to chart a new way forward, and we are not —
AUDIENCE: Going back!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — going back. We are not going back. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: We’re not going back! We’re not going back! We’re not going back!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, we are not going back. We’re not going back. We’re not going back.
AUDIENCE: We’re not going back! We’re not going back! We’re not going back!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We’re not going back because, as UAW always does, we are going to push forward. We are going to push forward.
And it all comes down to this. Look, you all have taken time out of your busy lives to be here this afternoon, and we are all here together because we know the stakes in this election are so high.
We are all here together because we love our country. (Applause.) We love our country. And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, the expression of the love of our country, to fight for our ideals. And that’s what this is about.
This is not, at the end of the day, a fight against something; this is a fight for something. (Applause.) This is a fight for something, including the fight to realize the promise of America. After all, that’s what unions have always done. It’s about understanding the promise of America, which has to include the promise that we should make to the workers of America.
So, we have 18 days to get this done. It’s not a lot of time. Okay? And we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end. We are the underdog. But make no mistake, we will win. (Applause.) We will win. We will win. We will win, I’m telling you.
It’s going to be hard work, but we like hard work. Hard work is good work. (Applause.)
And ultimately, we will win because we know what we stand for. (Applause.) And when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. (Applause.) Right?We stand for opportunity. We stand for dignity. And we stand for the future. (Applause.)
And so, I’ll close by saying, and when we fight —
AUDIENCE: We win!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — we win.
God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.)
END 5:57 P.M. EDT
