Two highly litigious rich men were served a dose of their own lawyerly medicine this week when the United Auto Workers filed federal labor charges against former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The charges claim Trump and Musk used a live broadcast on the site formerly known as Twitter to threaten and intimidate workers who are planning to strike.
UAW and its president Shawn Fain are not messing around or pulling any punches. “When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean,” Fain said. “Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns.”
The union is also producing some hard-hitting videos that make the case for working class people in this country.
Elon Musk isn’t just promoting Trump on his social media platform. He is contributing $45 million a month to a Super PAC to get Trump re-elected.
Earlier this month, UAW endorsed Kamala Harris for President. “In 2024, we’ve got a choice,” Fain said. “We can put a billionaire back in office and let him and his buddies get even richer. Or we can elect somebody who is ready to stand with us. Somebody who has walked a picket line. Somebody who is on our side.”
According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, over the last half century, middle-class households have experienced stagnating wages, rising income volatility, and reduced intergenerational mobility, even as the economy as a whole has prospered.
Critically, the U.S. Treasury concludes that “increased unionization has the potential to contribute to the reversal of the stark increase in inequality seen over the last half century.” No doubt, and UAW’s leadership at this time is essential for all workers, not just those who are currently in a union.
