On the morning of August 6, Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for President. Walz, who recently equated neighborliness with socialism, is a former teacher and member of both the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. In his political career, Tim Walz has been a staunch pro-union advocate:
- Walz has been outspoken in his opposition to right-to-work laws that allow workers to choose whether to join a union.
- In 2023 he signed a bill that expanded the scope of collective bargaining negotiations for teachers.
- He was endorsed for reelection by Education Minnesota after increasing public school funding by $1.2 billion over four years.
- His 2018 campaign website pledged support for unions and collective bargaining.
Given his extensive support for labor unions, it is not surprising that Walz’s selection as vice presidential candidate has garnered significant backing from unions:
- The National Education Association issued a press release in support of the Harris-Walz campaign, applauding Walz for expanding collective bargaining in Minnesota and increasing funding for public schools by billions of dollars.
- American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten congratulated Walz with a post on X which featured a graphic emphasizing his siding with the AFT on 90% of issues while he served in Congress.
- The American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees issued a press release calling Walz a “labor champion.”
- The Service Employees International Union expressed its support for the pick in an X post.
- Shawn Fain of the United Auto Workers chose Walz as one of his top choices for VP ahead of the announcement.
While union supporters applaud Walz for his pro-union stance, critics worry that his close ties to Big Labor will lead him to prioritize union agendas over the broader needs of workers.