Among a handful of swing states, Pennsylvania stands out as the top prize with its 19 electoral votes. Every voting bloc and slice of the state’s population is important. With union membership rising in the Keystone State, both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are crisscrossing the state seeking the support of Pennsylvania’s 750,000 union workers.
While union leadership often endorses Democratic candidates, their memberships do not vote as a bloc. According to Penn State professor Paul Clark, Republican affiliation among rank and file can fluctuate from union to union, from a tiny fraction to as much as 50% of a local’s employees.
To celebrate Labor Day at the beginning of September, Harris stumped with incumbent President Joe Biden in the Pittsburgh area, courting working-class union voters. In his pitch for Harris to succeed him, Biden said Harris “would build on the progress” made during his 4-year presidency.
Union workers in the energy sector are a top priority for both candidates, as fracking, a method to extract natural gas that was previously unavailable, has become politically controversial. Trump repeatedly brought up Harris’ 2019 pledge to ban fracking during a CNN townhall event, the last time she ran for president, signifying how important the topic could be in swaying energy union workers.
During the debate earlier this week, Harris said she has not pledged to ban fracking. Some believe Western PA union leaders’ pressure forced Harris to back off her comments to end fracking. Some Pennsylvania energy workers don’t believe Harris’ pledge not to ban fracking.
Some advocates are pointing to the Biden-Harris administration’s record of repealing National Labor Relations Board rules implemented by the Trump administration, which now make it easier for the federal government to force a business to recognize a union without an election among employees.
Before Biden dropped out, the traditional democrat advantage among union workers was nonexistent, with Biden and Trump even among the important voting bloc. Since Harris has become the nominee, Trump has lost ground in Pennsylvania, but the race remains tight.
Auto workers in Michigan, members of the power United Auto Workers union, could help Trump as Democrat support among UAW has decreased as a result of pushes for electric vehicle mandates. Trump has pledged to end any policies like an EV mandate, to the applause of UAW employees.
