Photo: Alamy
The Union Auto Workers Union (UAW) released a statement on Wednesday applauding President Donald Trump’s announcement to add new tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts.
Trump announced new tariffs of 25 percent on imported vehicles at the White House earlier on Wednesday, challenging auto companies to move operations into the U.S. to avoid the new tariffs.
“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades. Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.
The statement added that the union is willing to work with any politician who is willing to help its workers.
“The UAW has been clear: we will work with any politician, regardless of party, who is willing to reverse decades of working-class people going backwards in the most profitable times in our nation’s history,” Fain stated.
“These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country, and it is now on the automakers, from the Big Three to Volkswagen and beyond, to bring back good union jobs to the U.S.” he concluded.
The statement explained that the tariffs have the potential to restore thousands of well-paying, blue-collar auto jobs to working-class communities across the United States within months. This could be achieved by increasing shifts or expanding production lines at several underutilized auto plants, noting that many autoworkers at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis remain laid off due to recent corporate decisions to move jobs to Mexico.
Over the past decade, production at a dozen major Big Three auto plants has dropped by 2 million units annually, the statement explained, while millions of vehicles sold domestically are manufactured using low-wage labor in other countries. As a result, auto companies that have posted record profits continue to suppress wages for both Mexican and American workers, while Wall Street and corporate executives reap the financial benefits.
Trump added that “liberation day” is coming to America soon, emphasizing April 2 as the date that 25 percent tariffs are expected to begin against Canada and Mexico, with additional tariffs for other countries.
“LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA IS COMING, SOON. FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF BY VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, BOTH FRIEND AND FOE. BUT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER — AMERICA FIRST!!!” the president wrote Thursday on Social Truth in all caps.
