UAW Files Federal Charges Against Trump and Elon for Worker Intimidation Attempt

Given that 1 of Donald Trump’s longest-running jobs progressive sitting successful beforehand of a camera and telling strangers to their look that they are fired, it makes consciousness that helium would beryllium a immense instrumentality of layoffs. This information became evident yesterday, during Trump’s interminable conversation with Elon Musk connected Musk’s level X. Amidst the hours-long rhetorical marathon, Trump, astatine 1 point, went disconnected astir however large it is to occurrence people, referring to Elon arsenic 1 of the champion fire-ers (or, successful his words, “cutters”) of them all: “You’re the top cutter,” Trump said, of Musk. “I mean, I look astatine what you do. You locomotion in, you conscionable say: ‘You privation to quit?’ They spell connected strike—I won’t notation the sanction of the company—but they spell connected strike. And you say: ‘That’s okay, you’re each gone.'”

Now, arsenic with different times erstwhile Trump has blabbed indiscriminately, determination whitethorn beryllium consequences. In effect to Trump’s dumb, mean-spirited remarks, the United Auto Workers union, which protects manufacturing workers astatine large car companies, has filed a national complaint against some Musk and Trump. Though it seems improbable that Trump is up to day connected national labour laws, helium truly should cognize that it is amerciable to occurrence workers (or endanger to occurrence them) for striking. As such, Trump’s comments could rather easy beryllium construed arsenic idiosyncratic intimidation.

“When we accidental Donald Trump is simply a scab, this is what we mean,” said UAW President Shawn Fain, successful a statement. “When we accidental Trump stands against everything our national stands for, this is what we mean. Donald Trump volition ever broadside against workers lasting up for themselves, and helium volition ever broadside with billionaires similar Elon Musk, who is contributing $45 cardinal a period to a Super PAC to get him elected. Both Trump and Musk privation working-class radical to beryllium down and unopen up, and they laughter astir it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and wholly predictable from these 2 clowns.”

Unlike Musk and Trump, Fain really has a demonstrable way grounds of doing worldly for workers. Last year, Fain led the UAW’s strike, which resulted successful renewed contracts with the “big three” car manufacturers, the likes of which saw the mean worker’s wages and benefits drastically improve. Fain has besides made plans for further strikes and an assertive organizing effort designed to further mobilize workers and instrumentality connected firm America.

Conversely, Trump has ne'er been pro-worker, but erstwhile it comes to his campaign rhetoric. During his years arsenic a concern and existent property mogul, Trump was wide known for treating workers similar shit. Meanwhile, Trump’s governmental strategists’ top accomplishment was to someway alteration him into a “populist” hero, contempt the information that, portion successful office, the billionaire/former world TV prima gave huge taxation breaks to his plutocratic buddies and took each accidental to screw over moving and middle-class families. The Trump team’s propaganda has worked truthful good that, successful immoderate cases, rank-and-file national members person largely gone MAGA, adjacent though specified allegiances are the surest way to demolition for said workers.

Of course, Musk is adjacent much virulently anti-union than Trump. Musk has flatly refused to admit unionization efforts astatine his companies—and has publically stated that helium would similar to gut the National Labor Relations Board, which protects workers from predatory firm practices. After the Biden White House snubbed Musk astatine an EV league years back, he whined that helium felt the medication was “controlled by unions.” Late past year, Musk entangled himself successful a low-frequency warfare with the labour unions of Sweden, a state wherever organized labour is heavy entrenched. Musk, the richest antheral successful the world, has stated that helium disagrees “with the thought of unions,” claiming, seemingly unironically, that they make a “lords-and-peasants benignant of thing.”

Given each this, it isn’t astonishing that Fain and the UAW precocious endorsed Kamala Harris for President. Even if Trump and his funder, Musk, weren’t right-wing billionaires pushing a plutocratic agenda that threatens to nonstop America backmost to the 19th century, it wouldn’t beryllium surprising. For decades now, organized labour has astir ever sided with the Democrats. They don’t person overmuch of a choice. The modern-day GOP is actively hostile to the precise beingness of unions and has often pushed for union-busting policies, like right-to-work. “Donald Trump is each speech and nary enactment erstwhile it comes to delivering for autoworkers,” Fain precocious remarked. “But you cognize who did locomotion the picket enactment successful 2019 with striking [General Motors] workers? Kamala Harris.”