UAW's Concern Over Trump's Potential Election

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain expressed significant concerns regarding job security in the auto industry should former President Donald Trump win the election on Nov. 5.

Fain highlighted that Trump's potential repeal of investments in electric vehicles could jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs across the U.S. He pointed out that Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, has not committed to a $500 million investment necessary for converting a GM Cadillac plant into an electric vehicle facility, which could endanger 650 jobs in Lansing, Michigan.

Fain stated, "It's a lot bigger than just the Lansing Grand River investment. It's factories all over the United States, and it's supply chain factories all over the United States that are being put in place now. So you're talking hundreds of thousands of jobs that Donald Trump is just writing off."

In response to criticism, Vance defended his position and claimed that the administration's push towards EV investments could threaten 117,000 autoworker jobs. He stated, "What we've said is that Kamala Harris is offering table scraps – $500 million – when you have an EV mandate that’s going to cost 117,000 auto worker jobs."

Vice President Kamala Harris recently emphasized her intention to support consumer choice without enforcing an all-EV mandate. She and her advisors argue that moving towards EVs wouldn’t necessarily reduce job numbers and that jobs related to electric vehicle parts would be created in the U.S. Fain reasserted UAW's support for Harris, adding that the Biden administration imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs to protect U.S. automaking jobs.

Internal UAW polling indicated that 65% of union members tend to vote for Democratic candidates, challenging the notion of significant Trump support among autoworkers.

Trump previously mentioned his plans to consider the removal of the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases provided under Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, arguing that such incentives are generally not beneficial. If re-elected, he could potentially take actions against these incentives, which were expanded by Biden in 2022.