‘We are not defeated’: US labor unions react to Harris election loss

A majority of union members voted for Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s election, outpacing 2020 numbers. It didn’t stop Donald Trump from securing the presidency.

“Harris is outperforming 2020 numbers with union members, according to AP Votecast exit data. She’s up 57-39, which tracks with our internal data. Union voters turned out for Harris, that much is crystal clear,” posted Steve Smith, deputy director of public affairs at the largest federation of unions in the US, AFL-CIO, on X.

The AFL-CIO reported that unions spoke to 3 million voters in the lead-up to the election, the most in the federation’s history.

Several US labor unions launched door-knocking operations on behalf of the Harris campaign in swing states. But while Harris purportedly saw an increase in support from union members, her support among low-income Americans decreased compared with Biden’s in 2020, losing gains with voters making less than $50,000 in annual income and losing voters with incomes between $50,000 to $100,000 after Biden won this segment of the electorate in 2020.

The United Auto Workers ran one of its largest get-out-the-vote campaigns in recent history. Unite Here, which represents about 300,000 hospitality workers, knocked on over 4m doors in an operation supporting Harris in 10 divided states.

While the Harris campaign received endorsements from the majority of US labor unions, the Teamsters International withheld an endorsement this election cycle.

US labor unions and worker advocacy groups issued statements on Wednesday expressing disappointment in the result, while reaffirming their intention to continue to advocate for and defend pro-labor policies as Trump prepares to take office with a Republican majority in the Senate – the House results remain outstanding.

“Regardless of the political landscape, we will continue to speak truthfully about the conditions that foster real economic growth and equality, and we will press forward with policies that empower all workers, protect the most vulnerable, and hold corporations accountable for their impact on our economy and society,” said Rebecca Dixon, president and CEO of the National Employment Law Project.

“We are not defeated, we are determined. And we won’t back down. We remain united to each other and to our vision for a healthy, joyful and prosperous future. And we’re not going to let anyone divide us based on racism, sexism or fear,” April Verrett, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said.

The union represents about 2 million workers in the US and ran a $200m election campaign supporting Harris and down-ballot candidates.

“Our call was to rally a strong, multiracial voting bloc, and that’s what we did. We worked tirelessly, despite the voter suppression and structural barriers that have come to define our political system. And I’ll be honest, today is hard, but I’m holding on to hope,” Jessica Bolmer, a home care worker in Illinois and SEIU member, said in a statement to union members.

Some labor unions issued congratulations to Trump on the win while supporting bipartisan efforts to back their policy efforts.

“Congratulations to President-elect Trump. ALPA stands ready to work with the president-elect and the newly elected Congress on continuing our country’s important efforts to keep flying safe and advancing the piloting profession,” the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents about 78,000 pilots in the US and Canada, said in a statement. “ALPA is proud of our pilot-partisan agenda that focuses on education about ALPA issues and building relationships on both sides of the aisle in order to improve the lives of pilots and advance aviation safety.”

Labor unions did see some gains. Unions backed the Arizona US Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, who outperformed Harris in the state and is currently leading as results are still being tallied. But the Ohio senator Sherrod Brown lost his bid for re-election despite strong union backing.

In Missouri, voters approved a union-backed ballot initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by January 2026, and provide paid sick leave to workers at large employers. And voters in Alaska approved a ballot measure to increase the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027, though a ballot initiative in California to raise the minimum wage to $18 an hour is expected to come up short.

“This victory wouldn’t have been possible without over a decade of low-wage workers organizing for $15 and a union. Many of us have been in this fight together for years, on the strike line and in the streets,” said Fran Marion, a fast-food worker in Kansas City, Missouri, and a longtime organizer with Fight for $15 and Fight for a Union.

Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage

• Trump wins the presidency – how did it happen?

• Full presidential election results and map

• Abortion ballot measure results by state

• Republicans retake control of the Senate

• Senate, House and governor results