On Thursday, April 10, United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain addressed UAW members and the broader public via video livestream to explain the union’s position on Donald Trump’s tariffs as well as other aspects of the administration’s policies. Jacobin is happy to publish his remarks here. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
There’s a lot of uncertainty about what this moment holds for the working class. We’re in the middle of two massive transformations. One is in our economic system, where the rules of global trade are being upended, with huge implications for workers everywhere. The other major transformation is in our political system, where fundamental rights are being eroded, with huge implications for workers everywhere.
The UAW’s mission remains the same as it’s ever been — our mission, no matter what president is in the White House, is to take our power back and raise the standard for the working class.
One of the great divide-and-conquer tricks the ruling class has played on the working class of this country is to [get them to] see politics like a spectator sport. It wants everyone who chooses to wear a red hat to hate everyone who votes blue; if you’re on the blue team, you have to hate everything the red team does. Both sides talk about bullshit issues to hype up their fan bases, while the real issues that impact working-class people are never addressed.
In the labor movement, at our best, we have a different way of doing politics. We don’t make politics…
Auteur: Shawn Fain
