Walz touts pro-union laws at Laborfest as Harris, Trump try to court workers
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- If it's an even-numbered year in Wisconsin, one can expect to see a prominent Democrat appear at Laborfest on Milwaukee's lakefront.
Monday was no different. Vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz headlined this year's Labor Day festival on the Summerfest grounds.
During his remarks, Walz touted his record as Minnesota governor on worker issues. With a narrow Democratic majority in the Legislature there, Walz noted laws he's signed guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, as well as a ban on businesses calling meetings to discuss politics, including conversations about whether it'd be beneficial for workers to form a union.
"We made it easier to form a union, not harder. We strengthened worker protections," Walz said. "And in Minnesota, it's against the law to put your workers in a room and do an anti-union meeting. You can't do that."
Walz did not take questions from reporters who traveled along in a pool before being involved in a crash on the way to the Summerfest grounds.
Union workers have long been a core element of Democratic support. It's why President Joe Biden addressed Laborfest in 2022 and former President Barack Obama headlined the festival ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.
Under the leadership of former President Donald Trump, Republicans have attempted to win over at least some support from organized labor.
Earlier this summer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) President Sean O'Brien spoke at the first night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee. It was the first time a Teamsters leader had delivered an address at the RNC.
However, Bill Carroll, the secretary and treasurer of Teamsters Local 344, which represents United Parcel Service workers across Wisconsin and service industry workers in southeastern Wisconsin, said when it issues endorsements this fall, the union won't be backing Mr. Trump.
"We've made a handful [of endorsements] for state legislative offices," Carroll said. "Of course, the big one for president comes from the general executive board of the IBT, but I can tell you there's no circumstance where we would be supporting Donald Trump."
Carroll cited the Trump administration's appointment of attorneys to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who had a background in representing management in labor dispute cases. President Biden made headlines during his first month of office when his administration pushed to remove two of those counsel members from the NLRB.
In a statement to his social media site, Truth, Mr. Trump repeated GOP criticism of inflation that spiked in 2022 under the Biden-Harris administration.
"Happy Labor Day to all of our American Workers who represent the Shining Example of Hard Work and Ingenuity," the former president posted. "Under Comrade Kamala Harris, all Americans are suffering during this Holiday weekend - High Gas Prices, Transportation Costs are up, and Grocery Prices are through the roof."
While families are dealing with the lingering effects of inflation, July data from the Federal Reserve found the inflation rate fell below 3% for the first time in more than three years.
On the issue of labor, Mr. Trump touted his administration's record on trade, citing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade.
For rank-and-file union workers, traditional top issues came up during interviews at Laborfest Monday. SEIU Wisconsin organizer Erica Hunt said housing was an issue that repeatedly comes up in conversations.
"Definitely housing," Hunt said when asked for the union's top issues this year. "Housing is a big issue that affects a lot of our members. It affects a lot of the members and the staff, at that."
In his speech, Walz said Republicans under Mr. Trump have betrayed their longtime principle of pushing for a hands-off government. He alluded to the debate over abortion rights after a conservative U.S. Supreme Court majority struck down Roe v. Wade, as well as conservative efforts to ban schools from carrying books with sexual content.
"They talk about small government? Small enough to be in your bedroom, small enough to be in your exam room," Walz said. "Small enough to be in your library telling you the things that you should make decisions about."
A group of about 10 pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to disrupt the event, shouting once Walz began speaking. Security immediately removed at least two of the demonstrators while other volunteers from the Harris campaign tried to block out the protesters with campaign signs.
Wisconsin will once again stand at the center of the political stage this week. President Biden will visit southwestern Wisconsin Thursday while North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will be in Milwaukee Thursday for a Trump campaign event.
Mr. Trump, himself, will return to Wisconsin Saturday. He's slated to hold a rally in Mosinee, where he also had an event in 2020.