Last Updated on September 3, 2024 by BVN
Overview: Donald Trump’s presidency had a negative impact on labor, including weakening unions, rolling back provisions intended to keep workers safe, and making it harder for workers to stand together in a union. Despite his promise to “stand with the workers,” Trump’s actions have led to a decline in union membership and a decrease in workers’ rights. Trump’s running mate, Senator J. D. Vance, was booed by union members at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) conference, indicating that Trump’s support from unions is declining. The article urges Blacks to vote in their own best interests and support Kamala Harris for President to build and sustain a better America.
S.E. Williams
This Labor Day weekend I reflected on the number of Blacks who voted for Donald J. Trump when he ran for president in 2016–-14% of Black men and 6% of Blacks overall. In light of everything that transpired during his tenure as president, I am baffled by the idea of any person of color who plans to cast a vote for Donald Trump in November, especially when you consider the harm he has done to the nation as it relates to labor and other key issues.
Looking beyond his rabid and unapologetic racism and misogyny, disrespect for the country’s veterans and homophobic attitude toward members of the LGBTQ+ community, his catastrophic track record regarding labor also rates high on the list of disappointments related to his leadership or lack there of.
“Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.”
John F. Kennedy
It was obvious during his presidency that Trump had a very cozy relationship/partnership with big corporate players intended to destroy unions at worst and/or to render them impotent at best. The proof is all around us. Despite his promise to “stand with the workers” during his first campaign, in a press statement issued by the AFL-CIO last September, the union’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Steve Smith, wrote, “Former President [Donald J.] Trump spent four years in office weakening unions and working people while pushing tax giveaways to the wealthiest among us.”
Smith went on to make the AFL-CIO’s case against the former president. He stressed how Trump had stacked the courts with judges who are willing to roll back workers’ rights on the job; how Trump made union members less safe at work because he rolled back provisions intended to keep them safe; and even more egregious, Trump gave big corporations “free rein to lower wages and make it harder for workers to stand together in a union.”
A Pew Research poll in May showed seven percent of Black voters over 50 identified or leaned Republican and 17% of Black voters under the age of 50 aligned with the Republican Party. But when Kamala Harris entered the race a few short weeks ago, support for Trump in the Black community shifted. A more recent Pew Research poll shows Harris ahead among Black voters but still 16% of Black men and 10% of Black women are leaning Republican. What’s it going to take to wake them up?
It would be nice if we could just ignore their misguided political leanings and commitment to a man who could care less about them; if we could just remind them that he is not worthy of their loyalty to him. If they don’t believe me, all they have to do is remember how disloyal Trump was to the minions who stormed the Capitol on his behalf January 6, 2021. They were on their own once arrested, tried and convicted.
The AFL-CIO’s summary of Trump’s disastrous impact on labor and his assault on the economic rights of federal workers showed:
He undermined workers’ merit-based civil service system, granting managers a license to freely discriminate and retaliate against workers.
He restricted union representatives’ ability to advocate for their members on the job.
He targeted workers’ freedom to negotiate on workplace issues, including reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities, employee training, overtime, telework and flexible work schedules.
“If any man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar.”
Abraham Lincoln
He revoked the Department of Education’s previously negotiated union contract and illegally imposed an anti-union directive, stripping 3,900 workers of all previously negotiated rights and protections.
He stripped away protections for rank-and-file workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs, prompting a 60% rise in firings in the second half of 2017 alone.
He repeatedly turned a blind eye to misclassifying up to 30% of workers as independent contractors.
Trump also made several trade deals that were anti-worker including an anti-worker trade deal with South Korea that failed to secure key labor and human rights protections.
He proposed a 78% cut to the International Labor Affairs Bureau, the federal agency responsible for promoting a fair global playing field for workers.
And, Trump has proposed $400 million in budget cuts that would slash the Trade Adjustment Assistance program for those who lose their jobs to imports over the next decade.
All of this, in addition to his attack on workers’ health and safety in the work place in addition to Trump’s failure to keep his promises to the steel industry is another strong reason to keep him away from the Oval Office a second time.
Remember, Trump promised to protect jobs in the steel industry but instead more than 16,000 manufacturing jobs were lost. He also promised to “bring back manufacturing jobs and invest $1 trillion to rebuild U.S. infrastructure in Rust Belt states.” During his four years as president, however, he talked a good game but never advanced any infrastructure legislation.
Meanwhile, it seems that more and more people are waking up to Trump’s duality–promising one thing and delivering just the opposite. His running mate and Republican candidate for Vice President, Senator J. D. Vance, was booed by union members at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) conference on Thursday, August 29. Another glaring example that Trump is bleeding support from unions.
I can only hope that those Blacks who are still mesmerized by Trump’s insanity for one reason or another, come to their senses and vote in their own best interests, in the interests of their loved ones, their community, and their ancestors.
It may sound trite. It may sound cliche. It may be a phrase that is overworn, but in truth, I can’t think of a better way to say it than simply put, “This election, every vote counts.” Also, if you choose not to vote, you are in essence casting a ballot for Trump.
This November, do your part to build and sustain a better America. Support labor. Support equity in the workplace. Support Kamala Harris for President.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.
