I’m an Economist: Trump Is Wooing the Union Vote — Here’s Why They Should Be Listening
Written by
Marc Guberti
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, shocked many people when he spoke at the Republican National Convention. Although the Teamsters endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Barack Obama in both of his campaigns, the organization has not yet endorsed a candidate.
Furthermore, a high-ranking Teamsters official has never addressed the Republican National Convention in its 121-year history, per The Nevada Current. The organization has endorsed some Republicans in the past, but has primarily backed Democrats throughout its history.
The invitation to speak reflects Trump’s desire to win the union vote — but what should union workers look for in a candidate, and is Trump the right person for unionized voters?
GOBankingRates spoke with multiple experts to assess the president’s past policies that have both helped and hurt union workers. The experts also mentioned key issues union workers should monitor as both candidates make their case for the presidency.
Trump Is Likely To Preserve Individual Tax Cuts
Nicholas Johns is a senior policy and government affairs manager for the National Taxpayers Union. He speaks with stakeholders on and off Capitol Hill to promote pro-taxpayer budget and spending, telecommunications, workforce, health care and antitrust policy.
Johns was previously a government affairs and communications consultant and is a former legislative fellow at the Republican Study Committee under the chairmanship of Rep. Mike Johnson. He also worked for years at the International Franchise Association on health care, new business strategy, and government affairs.
Johns mentioned the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) as a key issue to monitor.
“Union workers would definitely benefit from a Trump presidency. Keeping his signature individual tax cuts intact is a major goal of Trump’s.”
The Trump tax cuts initiated in the TCJA are set to expire in 2025. The act cut taxes for shareholders and individual taxpayers. It increased the standard deduction from $6,500 to $12,000 for single filers. Joint filers saw their standard deduction rise from $13,000 to $24,000 due to the TCJA.
Previous Trump Policies Have Favored Corporations
Jonathan Hinton Westover is a professor and chair of organizational leadership at the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University. He is also a managing partner and principal at Human Capital Innovations, LLC. He is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, the Forbes Coaches Council, and other organizations. Westover works to transform organizations across the globe.
“Trump has generally opposed unions and collective bargaining. He may continue policies restricting unions, like reducing their political influence and making it harder for workers to organize or bargain contracts,” Westover explained.
Trump’s past policies have suggested a preference toward corporations over union workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The institute mentioned in a 2019 report that Trump axed a 2016 rule which would have raised the salary threshold to $47,476 for overtime pay.
The administration later established the salary threshold to $35,568 for overtime pay, lower than the 2016 rule. Anyone who earns below the salary threshold does not receive as much overtime protection.
Issues To Monitor
While each candidate speaks to a wide range of workers and social classes, union workers have a specific set of goals. Westover and Johns both shared key issues union workers may want to consider when assessing each candidate.
“Some pressing issues for union workers include protecting collective bargaining rights, increasing wages, especially in industries with many lower-paid union jobs, and ensuring access to affordable healthcare,” Westover suggested.
“The joint employer issue is a big one for unions. Hopefully, the next administration will reestablish the traditional standard so that union workers can clearly understand who they are at the bargaining table with.” Johns said.
Union workers also tend to be concerned about trade policies that could threaten domestic manufacturing jobs and job retraining programs amid industry shifts. “Other pressing issues include paid sick leave and family leave, as well as access to retirement security, like pensions.” Westover added.
Trump initiated trade tariffs during his presidency that reduced the demand for products and services, prompting some job cuts. The U.S.-China Business Council released a January 2021 study that estimated the trade policies resulted in nearly 250,000 lost jobs. However, as Reuters reported as of July 2024: “Trump and his populist strain of protectionist policies such as tariffs on Chinese goods accelerated a drift toward Republicans by unionized workers. A question in this year’s race is whether unions such as the UAW can reverse this migration.”
“Union workers will want to consider which candidate and party are committed to protecting labor rights and standards while also supporting an economy that creates good union jobs. There are reasonable debates on different approaches, so union guidance and candidates’ detailed policies may help workers make the choice that best represents their priorities and values.” Westover stated.
GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
