Labor
Big Labor: Trump Picks ‘Second Worst’ Running Mate Ever
Presidential candidate Donald Trump giving the thumbs up. (Flikr/Creative Commons/Marc Nozell)
National union leadership denounced Republican Gov. Mike Pence as the second worst vice presidential pick ever Friday after he was asked to join Donald Trump’s campaign.
Trump has been a primary target of union leadership throughout the election. He sparked uproar from national unions again when he announced his vice presidential pick Friday. The business mogul was originally going to make the announcement during a press conference, but postponed the event for Saturday following a terrorist attack in France Thursday night.
“Congratulations to Donald Trump on the second worst Vice Presidential pick in history,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement. “Everything Donald Trump does proves he is our enemy. This decision proves that he does not stand with working families. Mike Pence might be the right choice for Donald Trump, but he’s the wrong choice for America.”
The AFL-CIO lists support for right-to-work and the Trans-Pacific Partnership as some of the reason Pence is a bad pick. The union also notes he opposes prevailing wage laws and raising the minimum wage. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) denounced Pence for his tough stance on immigration, which has already been a cornerstone of the ticket.
“Governor Pence and Donald Trump now represent a double threat to the immigrant community,” SEIU Executive Vice President Rocio Saenz stated. “His positions on immigration are anti-immigrant and anti-family. If Donald Trump wasn’t enough to alienate Latino voters, a Trump/Pence ticket will be the ultimate deal breaker for one of the fastest-growing demographics.”
Trump has been highly opposed by unions and many others for his stance on issues like immigration. He has called for tougher border patrol and a temporary ban on non-citizen Muslims from entering the country. His proposed ban came only after a series Islamic-terrorist attacks in Paris last November.
Nevertheless his views on trade and immigration alongside his abrupt tone has allowed Trump to gain significant support among workers. Union leaders have even expressed concern they have lost their members to the outspoken candidate. Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton are tied among union households, according to a recent a Wall Street Journal/NBC News.
The AFL-CIO hopes to use its vast political influence to inform workers about where Trump stand on workplace issues. Trump has expressed support for right-to-work while also noting the minimum wage should be left to the states. The union has already mobilized members and supporters on the grassroots level to oppose Trump but thus far the attacks have not had a huge impact.
The AFL-CIO alongside several other top unions launched a political action fund May 12 with environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer. The unions aim was to influence the current presidential election and oppose Trump. Several trade unions promptly wrote a letter to the unions arguing many of the environmentalist policies Steyer supports kills good blue-collar jobs.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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