Joe Biden is the most pro-union president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. But nationally organized labor continues to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The AFL-CIO immediately switched its endorsement from Biden to Vice President Harris, whom the president endorsed as his successor. Many individual unions have done likewise.
We decided to sample labor sentiment in Kentucky. Thus far, Bluegrass State trade unionists, too, are standing in solidarity with the Harris-Walz team. “Excited” is a word we often heard in talking with 15 of our union brothers and sisters across the state. While many of them were pulling for Harris to name Gov. Andy Beshear to her ticket, all said they were pleased with Walz.
Ashley Snider, our state vice president, drew an interesting parallel between the Harris-Waltz duo and the Beshear administration. She pointed out that Harris and Beshear were both state attorneys general and that Waltz and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman were coaches and public school teachers.
Here is what our the active union leaders and retirees told us. Their names and responses are listed in alphabetical order.
Robert Akin
Green County, president, Central Kentucky Building & Construction Trades Council
Vice Present Harris made an excellent, excellent choice for the United States when she chose Mr. Walz as her vice president. He reflects middle America, working class America, and the Midwest.
I think that President Biden is probably the greatest labor union president that we’ve had in my lifetime. He’s done more in a short period to help bolster organized labor. I don’t think Vice President Harris will back down for that if she’s elected president. I think she will continue Biden’s policies. If we can get her elected, we can look forward to hopefully eight more years of an improving climate for labor unions.
As far as Andy Beshear goes, I am slightly disappointed. But I think this will be a great opportunity for Kentucky to have such a high profile Democrat and a potential presidential candidate down the road. But Andy is a young man. He’s done a great job as governor, which is reflected in his popularity across the board. I think he will continue to be a great governor; his potential hasn’t been reached yet, and we can look forward to him achieving even higher office.
Lillian Brents
Louisville, president, ATU Local 1447
I will mirror the excitement. They are two good picks as far as labor having a seat at the table and a role in this election and the future of the United States. I understand the reasons why she chose Gov. Walz. But because I am from Kentucky and a huge supporter of Gov. Beshear I would have liked to have seen him chosen. We all wanted that for him and for our state. We fully support the vice president and the governor in this race. I’m just excited for our state to get the continued national attention. We do have one of the best governors, and I’m excited about that, but I’m also excited about this upcoming election.
Neal Cotton
Louisville, vice president, Greater Louisville Central Labor Council
I’m excited. I’m energized. This is what we need. Biden’s done so much good for us, but it just wasn’t looking very good. They attacked that man every way they could. But that man has done so much to change so many people’s lives for the better. He’s done his work; he deserves to rest. We need to get behind Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz.
Al Cunningham
Marshall County, retired IUPAT District Council 91 business representative
Overall, everybody’s excited about the change that was made on the head of the ticket. Everybody’s tickled with her selection for vice president as well. I had known of Gov. Waltz when I was a rep. I stayed in touch with guys all around the country, especially in the Midwest, and at functions in Minnesota, and I’d ask them about their governor, and they were thrilled with him.
I still talk to people today who think President Biden could have won. But I think he did the right thing. Look at the excitement we’re having. I hope the momentum they have will carry on through the convention and on to victory.
Tim Donoghue
Florence, president, Northern Kentucky AFL-CIO Labor Council
I think it’s a large improvement. I think we still have trouble in Kentucky with Trump to be truthful. But what I’m looking for up here is cutting some of the coattails off. That’s my plan.
I can see the excitement up here in some of my minor races with this new ticket. Part of my area is Campbell and Kenton County, and they went for Beshear. So there is the possibility with the excitement of a new ticket that I can get some benefit out of that, and that’s what I'm working on in state and local races. What I’m looking for is fewer people voting the straight ticket. So if I can make a dent in that with some excitement with this new team, they will look at my other candidates down the ticket, and maybe I’ll get some of those voters.
I don’t think even with Beshear on the ticket they could take Kentucky. Truthfully, I think Beshear’s going to be my next senator. I think he is fit for walking right in and taking Mitch McConnell’s seat. He is appreciated more in Kentucky as proved in the governor’s races, and from there he can go where he wants to.
Kirk Gillenwaters
Bullitt County, president of the Kentucky Alliance for Retired Americans
I couldn’t be more excited right now. This should energize people who were not going to support Democratic control of the White House. She will carry on the agenda and the issues that have been so very important to President Joe Biden. Look what he’s done for retirees by adding money to their guaranteed pensions, especially for those Teamsters, that were looking at taking a huge reduction in pension benefits had the pension fund been not addressed, and it would have gone under in the next two years.
For President Biden to make the call and pass the torch to the younger generation to step up into leadership roles – that’s dignity and respect. That’s someone who cares for this country. I love Joe. I give him a tip of the hat for what he did. It’s been interesting to watch them squirm on the other side because they thought they had the election in the bag, and they thought they could continue to talk about his health condition and his age, and now we’ve got only one old guy in the race, and he doesn’t have a full mental capacity.
Chad Mills
Reynolds Station, state director, Kentucky State Building & Construction Trades Council
I think Governor Walz is a good pick. I heard him speak at the NABTU conference this past April. He was one of the first speakers, and I really didn’t expect much. I was sitting next to John Holbrook and when he finished, John and I both said, ‘That’s going to be hard to top.’ He had everybody on their feet whooping and hollering. He is a very down to earth dude that’s a very dynamic speaker.
We were pushing for Andy; we wanted to see him get it. But at the end of the day if they weren’t going to pick Andy, then I think they got a good vice presidential candidate in this guy.
Tim Morris
Louisville, executive director, Greater Louisville Central Labor Council
Tim Walz is exactly the guy we need. He grew up on a farm in Nebraska. He was 19 when his dad passed away. His family lived on Social Security survival benefits. He saw how broken the health care system was when his mom had to spend a couple of years in repaying those medical bills. Those Social Security survivor benefits helped them make ends meet.
I can say that’s important because that’s what happened to my family when I was a kid. So he understands working class issues and knows that government is supposed to be there to support folks and raise folks up. He is that type of New Deal supporter that we need to protect working folks, and that’s what he's done in Congress and as governor.
Dustin Reindstedler
Louisville, president, Kentucky State AFL-CIO
This new and undeniable energy from the base of the Democratic Party and organized labor is unavoidably contagious.
President Biden leaves a legacy of a true statesman and a true friend of labor. Kamala Harris has been there with him and should be well versed in all issues that matter to us. I’m especially impressed with all of her campaign speeches that seem so openly focused on unions and workers’ freedom to fight for their equitable share. I had first-hand participation in the AFL-CIO’s recommendations for potential vice presidential picks, and Harris obviously took counsel from union leadership across the country. Although Beshear was my personal first choice and Walz was my runner up, I’m incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to introduce Gov. Beshear to so many Labor leaders these past two weeks. Walz is an excellent example of a union man with a perfect Labor record. He’s also a spectacular human who I know will serve the office with dignity and compassion. We will do everything possible to see that this labor friendly ticket gets elected.
Ashley Snider
Shelbyville, vice president, Kentucky State AFL-CIO
Labor was really excited about President Joe Biden. He’s one of the best presidents we’ve ever had as a union supporter. So when he stepped down, a lot of us were sad and didn’t know what was going to happen, but the energy that came from Kamala really exploded with our members. They are really excited. They just weren’t excited about the election, and now they are. We’ve had more people to sign up to volunteer than we’ve had in a long time – before COVID. It had been hard to get members really engaged. And now we’ve got members coming out of every plant ready to phone bank, door knock. They are just really excited about Kamala and Walz.
I am really excited about this race because it’s a great story, because Kamala and Walz have the same track record as Beshear and Coleman as far as being an attorney general, Kamala was and Waltz was a schoolteacher, and so was Jacqueline. They make such a great team. There’s been such a war on teachers across the United States from this far right. I’d love to see somebody that comes from a school system in one of those very top positions.
I like Walz. I think he’s amazing and is going to be great. I think Andy would have done an equally great job. I really like Andy; Gov. Beshear is just a gem, and people love him. People across the United States would appreciate him like we do here in Kentucky. He has talked about potentially running for president one day, and I hope he still plans to do that.
Liles Taylor
Midway, Kentucky State AFL-CIO political coordinator
I am really excited. Obviously I have mixed feelings about President Biden stepping aside. He’s been an incredible pro-union president. It seems that this new energy and vigor that Harris has brought to the campaign is important, not just for the presidential race, but also for all the down-ticket races that are so important for advancing priorities for working families across the country.
We all would have loved to have seen Andy Beshear as the pick, but Tim Walz is an incredible union man, an incredible family man, with a proven track record of supporting not only labor, but also working families and advocating for marginalized people. He's an incredible choice. The narrative has been brought back to a discussion of issues, not the age and health of President Biden.
Kevin Walton
Madisonville, Kentucky State AFL-CIO recording secretary
He’s a veteran, which is a plus. He was a school teacher, a coach, and a union member. I think there’s promise for Mr. Walz that he should be great for the country and great for the working people — all people — the working class. That’s something this country needs.
Greg Weatherford
Carlisle County, USW Local 665 retiree.
They talk positive. They have positive ideas. They're not gloom and doom, and they give us hope where the other side, they just talk about how crappy our country is and that it’s going to hell. It’s just not true; I can’t see it. They talk about how bad this economy is, but it’s amazing at the number of people who are buying new cars, building big houses everywhere. People are working. Vice President Harris and Gov. Waltz are pro-union, absolutely pro-union. What's not to like about them?
I believe Andy Beshear’s time will come in the near future. But right now, we need Andy as governor because we don’t have anybody else. Andy’s done a good job, and he’d have been a great vice president and would be a great president, but not this time.
Jeff Wiggins
Reidland, Kentucky State AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer
I'd love to have had Andy, but I am tickled to death with Walz because he is truly a labor man. I'm all aboard for Walz because he stands for working people. Harris does, too. She’s brought a lot of enthusiasm to the election and a new look. They were talking about Sleepy Joe, and he’s old and can’t do anything, and now Trump’s the old man. I can tell you in my neighborhood I don’t see as many Trump signs as there used to be.
Cylister Williams
Louisville, president of the Kentucky branch of the A. Philip Randolph Institute
I think at this time, this is the best ticket that we can get. If we had gone there into the convention and tried to pick somebody – that would have thrown us way behind. We cannot win this by ourselves, we need the community to win. I’ve studied her record of what she did out there in California – as a human being we’ve got the best, we’ve got the best. Joe Biden was good in his day, and he’s still good. I’ve followed him all through his career. He is for the people. He is a human being in my book.
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