AFL-CIO President on the Vice Presidential Debate

October 1, 2024

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement after the vice presidential debate between Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance:

There couldn't be a starker contrast between millionaire JD Vance and his Trump Project 2025 Agenda and Tim Walz, a union brother, former educator, and lifelong supporter of working people. That was clear on tonight's debate stage: a phony who plays a pretend working-class hero in a fantasy world versus a champion who fights for working people in the real world.

But working people won't be fooled. As senator, Vance refused to support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act-the labor movement's landmark bill to protect workers' right to join a union-and introduced legislation that would let bosses create sham company unions to undermine actual worker organizing. As Donald Trump's running mate, he is all in on the Trump Project 2025 Agendathat would eviscerate unions, gut minimum wage and overtime pay, and come after the contractsand benefits union members have fought so hard for. Let's be perfectly clear: Vance is committed to Trump's agenda, and that agenda does nothing for working families. From crossing a picket lineto bragging about not paying overtimeand firing striking workers, Trump only cares about his rich friends. That's how Vance and Trump would govern if elected.

Workers have a real ally in Gov. Walz, who stood up for working people and unions every chance he got as a member of Congress and as governor of Minnesota. We know Walz will be right by Kamala Harris' side, shoulder to shoulder with workers, in the White House. That's why the AFL-CIO and our affiliated unions are mobilizing members across the country to engage and turn out union voters in battleground states every day from now until Nov. 5. The labor movement never backs down from a fight, and we won't give up until Trump, Vance, and the Trump Project 2025 Agenda are defeated.

Contact: Steve Smith, 202-637-5018