UAW President Shawn Fain, Elissa Slotkin Fire Up Michigan Union Members at Flint Canvassing Event
FLINT — UAW workers and supportive community members rallied earlier today in Flint at a canvassing kick-off for U.S. Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin. With Michigan at the heart of U.S. manufacturing and the fight for good union jobs, the event promoted the UAW’s endorsement of Slotkin and highlighted the large field program Michigan UAW members are running to elect her as their next senator.
UAW President Shawn Fain, UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes, and Rep. Slotkin all delivered remarks at the rally.
The Flint event is part of a broader election effort by the union in Michigan. Across the state, UAW members are canvassing to engage co-workers, retirees, and UAW households. They’re holding conversations that emphasize the importance of supporting candidates who back a pro-worker, anti-corporate greed agenda to secure the future of manufacturing in Michigan and beyond.
“Rep. Slotkin has been a champion for autoworkers and union members in Michigan while her opponent has consistently voted to weaken workers’ rights. We need Rep. Slotkin to be Michigan’s next senator,” said Steve Dawes, UAW Region 1D Director. “We also know that the path to the White House could run through Michigan. Vice President Kamala Harris has walked our picket lines, showing her support not only for labor but for all working-class people.”
In August, UAW launched its most ambitious political program in decades for an all-out effort to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States and to put other pro-worker candidates in office. The Union’s program includes mobilizing UAW members online, at worksites, and in the field with a door-to-door program to reach members, retirees, and their families.
The Union’s one million active and retired members will form a core base of support for the Harris-Walz campaign and will provide a major piece of the campaign’s margin of victory in Michigan. In 2020, the UAW’s membership accounted for 9.2% of Biden-Harris’ votes in Michigan alone.
The UAW’s plan to win stems from the vision that launched 2023’s Stand Up strike and movement. By putting out the facts, uniting the working class, and letting members lead the way, the UAW’s “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up” campaign will mobilize workers to defeat the billionaire class at the ballot box.
Photos and videos from the event can be access here.
