Unraveling the Trump Era: Exposing the Truth Behind His Stance on Workers and Unions

Donald Trump's visit to Michigan on Wednesday reveals a notable surge in support among blue collar union members, a support that many previous Republican presidential candidates have failed to garner. However, his track record as president unmistakably exhibits an anti-union stance.

Under Trump's administration, the National Labor Relations Board, responsible for overseeing labor relations in various industries, and his selections for the Supreme Court have delivered significant blows to unions, resulting in considerable setbacks since his inauguration in 2017.

"Hes not supportive of workers right to organize, bargain collectively or strike," said Cathy Creighton, an NLRB attorney during the Clinton administration and a union lawyer who now serves as the head of the Buffalo, New York office of Cornell Universitys school of Industrial and Labor Relations. "Other Republican presidents said they were pro-business, or that they think labor has too much power. He tells working Americans hes on their side when his actions consistently oppose labor unions."

Anti-union decisions

During Trump's presidency, the NLRB members he selected imposed stricter regulations on unions seeking representation at nonunion workplaces. This included prolonging the period between when a union files for representation and when an election takes place. As a result, management gained more time to campaign against the union with its employees.

However, the Biden administration's NLRB has repealed these regulations following their invalidation by the courts. Furthermore, they are actively working to streamline the process for unions to organize, aiming to make it more accessible.

The Supreme Court ruling under the Trump administration had a detrimental impact on public sector unions, who have a similar number of members compared to private businesses. In 2018, Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed by Trump, cast the deciding fifth vote in a decision that made it simpler for government employees across the nation to opt out of paying union dues, even if their workplace is unionized.

Trump gained notoriety for his assurance to prevent businesses from relocating or shutting down operations outside of the country. Particularly, he made a fervent pledge to prevent GM from closing the substantial assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

In a 2017 speech given in nearby Youngstown, he made a commitment to the residents that manufacturing jobs would make a comeback in the region. Addressing the crowd, he urged them to stay put and not sell their houses.

However, two years later, GM shut down the plant, disregarding Trump's appeals to GM CEO Mary Barra and his criticisms of the company's closure strategies. The plant was later acquired by Lordstown Motors, who had intentions to employ thousands of workers eventually. Sadly, Lordstown Motors incurred more losses than produced pickup trucks and had to declare bankruptcy, resulting in the suspension of operations.

Trump has reiterated his promise to impose high tariffs on vehicles from Mexico during his current campaign trail. However, his revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020, which has been widely criticized by many blue collar workers, did not include such tariffs on Mexican vehicles. Consequently, this agreement has had minimal impact on the influx of vehicles across the US borders.

Despite Trump's claims of creating employment opportunities in the auto industry and blaming the Biden administration for destroying them, Michigan witnessed a loss of 1,900 auto manufacturing jobs (equivalent to 4% of the total) between February 2017 (shortly after Trump's inauguration) and February 2020 (prior to the beginning of the pandemic), as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the other hand, the state experienced a gain of 1,800 auto jobs from February 2021 (Biden's first month in office) to February of this year.

Battles with the UAW

Amidst a strike by the United Auto Workers union against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, Trump makes his way to Michigan, where he not only travels but also takes aim at the union leadership overseeing the ongoing strike.

Speaking at Drake Enterprises, a non-union auto parts manufacturer located in Macomb County just outside of Detroit, President Trump's visit is not seen as a show of support for striking autoworkers by the UAW, despite the presence of union members in the audience. Throughout his business career, Trump often clashed with unions, making him perhaps the most contentious president in this regard prior to his first election. The back-and-forth between him and the UAW leadership has been ongoing for some time now.

On Labor Day, as the industry was heading towards the unions' first coordinated strike against the three automakers, Trump criticized both the management and union leadership for their insufficient efforts to counter the Biden administration's push for a transition from gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. He warned that if this transition were to occur, it would cause the US auto industry to suffer.

In a recorded message, he stated, "If the union bosses and CEOs fail to oppose Crooked Joe Biden and compel him to rescind this disastrous electric car plan, then you will know they are not in support of workers, not on your side, and have personal agendas."

Trump appealed to UAW members, encouraging them to refrain from paying their union dues. He argued that the union's actions would lead them to a dire situation, suggesting that they would lose their jobs and witness all car manufacturing being outsourced to China.

Despite the UAW's criticism of the industry's transition to EVs and their reluctance to endorse Biden, UAW President Shawn Fain has directed his strongest criticisms towards Trump. Fain stated that he has no intention of meeting with Trump during his visit to Michigan on Wednesday, as he believes Trump lacks concern for the values of our workers and the working class. In Fain's words to CNN on Tuesday, "He prioritizes the interests of the billionaire class, and that is the fundamental problem in our country."

Asked if that was an endorsement of Biden, Fain replied, "Its not an endorsement for anyone, its just flat-out how I view the former president."

Rank-and-file support for Trump

Trump's campaign staff argues that the union leadership may not accurately represent the opinions of the rank-and-file members. According to Jason Miller, a senior campaign adviser for Trump, there is a noticeable disconnect between the political leaders of certain labor unions and the working middle-class individuals they claim to speak for. Miller made these remarks during an interview with CNN.

According to Art Wheaton, the director of labor studies at Cornell University's ILR school in Buffalo, approximately 40% of autoworkers supported Trump in the previous election. Wheaton and other labor professors suggest that Trump's rhetoric, which includes taking a strong stance against imports and criticizing electric vehicles (which many autoworkers perceive as a threat to their union jobs), has resonated among union members. Even though some may argue that his actions are anti-union, Wheaton states that there is noticeable support for Trump's message on picket lines.

"He made incredibly bold statements regarding the outsourcing of jobs and the relocation of factories to foreign countries," stated Todd Vachon, an esteemed labor studies professor at Rutgers University. "Neither party had previously addressed this matter as candidly as he did."

In addition to concerns about labor laws and the dynamics between labor and management, a substantial number of ordinary members support Trump for reasons unrelated to labor-related matters."

"The individuals employed on the factory floor, characterized as blue-collar workers, comprise average individuals engaged in hourly labor for the leading automotive companies. These individuals exhibit support for Donald Trump owing to their adherence to traditional values. They possess firearms and advocate for the preservation of their gun rights without imposition of any restrictions. Furthermore, they predominantly espouse an anti-abortion stance," stated Brian Pannebecker, a steadfast supporter of Trump and the president of Auto Workers for Trump.

- This report was compiled with the contributions of CNN journalists Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene, and Daniel Strauss.