President Trump Is Cutting into Joe Biden's Union Worker Base

• Author: Michael Bordonada
• Posted: 2023-12-14

One of the biggest phenomena of Trumpism is the broad and unexpected appeal that he has to various parts of the electorate. President Trump is reshaping the political map as he breaks Democrats' hold on various constituencies that they depend on to win elections. In 2020, what is different is that Trump has busted the Democrats' stranglehold on organized labor. While union bosses are trying to stick with the Democrats, the rank-and-file has revolted, causing unions to shift their backing. Now, the organized labor vote is up for grabs, and it is the key to President Trump holding the Midwest.

The Union Bosses No Longer Have the Power to Dictate the Vote

In the past, union voting was not really in any doubt. The union bosses decided who they wanted to back and union members dutifully went to the polls and pulled the levers. In turn, unions backed candidates who seemingly forgot every one of their promises the day after the election. For the privilege of being told who to vote for, union members kicked over their hard-earned wages to the union for their "political organizing." Union workers were subjected to this "deal" for decades, and they paid their dues, often with little choice in the matter.

Donald Trump has driven a wedge between union members and their representatives. The elected union leaders still want to throw their support to the Democrats for the most part. However, they are now being constrained by the wishes of their members, many of whom are ardent Trump supporters. In fact, it was union laborers in the Midwest who put Trump in the White House in the first place.

Joe Biden has been counting on support from organized labor as he seeks to build the Democrats' "Blue Wall." However, he is not getting the backing that he counted on because the demographics of union membership have changed to encompass many more Trump supporters. In other words, Trump's vaunted base has grown to include rank-and-file workers.

President Trump Understands the Actual Issues that Union Members Care About

Part of the reason is that Democrats have gone in a much different direction than their union supporters when it comes to social issues. President Trump understands what these workers think and relate to in their everyday lives, and he is taking positions that will resonate with them. Biden does not realize that being a Trojan horse for the Radical Left irritates and causes mistrust among the lunchbox crew that goes to work every day and still holds their American values dear. The Democrats thought that they could count on union support forever without considering what the members actually think.

In addition, the threat from China affects workers' daily lives and their job stability. Union members worry about what China can do and appreciate the fact that Trump has stood up for American workers. These are pocketbook issues that affect people's ability to keep their job and earn a living.

There has never been a broader split between union bureaucrats and their members. The leadership continues to endorse Democrats. However, these endorsements carry much less weight than in the past. They are empty because the union leaders may speak, but the members end up voting for Trump. Union leaders will need to seriously consider their political activity in the future because it will cost them members. Because information has become democratized, workers are now better informed than ever, and they will simply not vote for who they are told. If anything, President Trump has driven that point home by speaking directly to the workers. He is able to go over the heads of leadership to make a direct point to the dues paying members.

Biden is still getting most of the union endorsement. Many of these unions have too much of a vested interest in Democrats to change course now. However, they need to begin to adapt to the wishes of their members, or they will begin to lose their own power. As the country continues to change, a scenario in which organized labor becomes a stronghold of the GOP is entirely possible. It is hard to see Democratic policies that tangibly benefit union workers that rise to the level of Republican tax cuts and emphasis on issues that workers care about. Democrats are advised to reconsider how they relate and appeal to union members, or else they risk permanently losing this key constituency.