AFL-CIO Strongly Supports Tim Walz for Vice President

Today, following Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the AFL-CIO announced our enthusiastic support for the Harris–Walz ticket.

“By selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris chose a principled fighter and labor champion who will stand up for working people and strengthen this historic ticket,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “We know that Gov. Walz will be a strong partner in the Harris White House, fighting every day to improve the lives of workers in communities across America. Gov. Walz isn’t only an ally to the labor movement, but also our union brother with a deep commitment to a pro-worker agenda.

“The labor movement stands united behind the Harris–Walz ticket, and we are ready to help lead the effort to defeat Donald Trump, JD Vance, and their anti-worker Project 2025 agenda in November.”

Background:

Gov. Tim Walz is a former public school teacher and union member who has proven that a pro-worker agenda is a winning agenda, especially in competitive states. He has delivered on a comprehensive, pro-union legislative package and created the gold standard for state governments aiming to do right by workers.

We know Walz will deliver for working people across the country as vice president, just as he has throughout his career. Gov. Walz has enacted some of the most pro-worker packages of legislation of any state in the country, including laws to:

• Guarantee paid family and medical leave and mandate paid sick days.
• Prohibit noncompete clauses.
• Bar employers from holding anti-union captive audience meetings.
• Strengthen protections for meatpacking workers and Amazon warehouse employees.
• Strengthen the collective bargaining power of teachers’ unions, including allowing bargaining over educator-to-student classroom ratios.
• Create a statewide council to improve conditions for nursing home workers. (The Guardian, 6/7/23 and Minnesota Reformer, 5/17/23)

Gov. Walz also has:

• Reached a historic deal with Uber and Lyft that amounts to a 20% increase in driver pay and provides statewide wage and worker standards, even in the face of threats from Uber and Lyft to end service in Minnesota.
• Invested $2.6 billion in much-needed infrastructure projects that create good, family-supporting jobs that pay prevailing wages.
• Issued Executive Order 23-07, which established the Governor’s Committee on the Compensation, Wellbeing, and Fair Treatment of Transportation Network Company Drivers.