Midway through the 2024 election season, Vice President Kamala Harris finds herself facing significant challenges, particularly when it pertains to appealing to white working-class voters, historically her weakest demographic. This demographic has often favored Donald Trump, creating hurdles for Harris and her allies within organized labor. Recent polls indicate Harris holds only narrow leads over Trump, with particularly pronounced deficits among voters without college degrees.
The American labor movement, represented by organizations like Working America—an affiliate of the AFL-CIO aimed at nonunion workers—is stepping up its grassroots outreach efforts to these key voters. With approximately 1,600 paid canvassers actively engaging residents across battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, there's been substantial momentum building to embolden support for Harris. “We are the difference-makers in the election,” declared Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO.
This ambitious initiative is buttressed by organized labor's belief they can chip away at Trump's appeal through on-the-ground efforts. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll uncovered stark contrasts: Harris was favored by college-educated voters, yet Trump held sway among 58% of white voters without college degrees, reinforcing the importance of direct voter contact.
April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, highlighted Democrats' oversight, noting, “It is white men and white women who vote for Donald Trump. We’re not going to sway the majority of them, but over time, we have to tackle the challenges posed by this voter base.” This comment underlines the urgency with which unions are trying to reach out to and mobilize white working-class voters.
Many of these voters harbor grievances tied to previous free-trade policies associated with Bill Clinton's administration, which they now view through the lens of Trump’s protectionist rhetoric. The effects of COVID-19 have left many younger working-class voters feeling disillusioned, leading some to conclude they don’t trust the electoral system at large. “Most young working-class people, for good reason, think Democrats, Republicans or the political class have done nothing for them,” stated Michael Podhorzer, former political chief of the AFL-CIO.
To aid their outreach, organized labor groups, including the United Automobile Workers, have ramped up efforts to deploy their grassroots canvassers more strategically. They align these initiatives with visits from Harris and other labor surrogates, reinforcing their economic message through targeted advertising during high-profile sporting events. Harris, during her engagements with union audiences, has asserted, “Donald Trump's track record is a disaster for working people, and he is an existential threat to America’s labor movement.”
Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers, has emerged as one of Harris’s key surrogates, tirelessly advocating for her campaign across pivotal states. Organized labor aims to mobilize around 5 million union members through their outreach programs. The Strategy seems clearer: direct engagement, funneling efforts to reach undecided or ambivalent voters who might be swayed. Working America reported success from previous elections, attributing approximately 250,000 additional Democratic votes to their canvassing efforts during the 2022 elections.
With time running out, Harris and her labor allies are cognizant of the uphill struggle; canvassers have received detailed training to guide their interactions with uncertain voters effectively. While canvassers have specific talking points, they are encouraged to establish genuine connections rather than force the issue. If interactions steer toward immigration concerns, canvassers are instructed to pivot away, recognizing such voters are likely firmly aligned with Trump.
Notably, some canvassers have expressed their own concerns about the effectiveness of this approach. Maria Wesley, who joined the efforts from Atlanta, acknowledged the pressure to meet quotas for voter conversations but underscored the importance of creating meaningful interactions. “For many of us, this is the most money we’ve ever made,” she said. With base pay of $20 per hour, and opportunities to earn more based on performance, there’s undeniably motivation to succeed.
Even as they face defiance from entrenched partisan positions, there are glimmers of hope. Conversations have emerged where canvassers, like Zaeveona Rainey, discovered voters, not traditionally inclined to support Harris, engaging thoughtfully about policies. One voter, Victor Martinelli, shared mixed feelings during his interaction with Rainey; he acknowledged Harris's beneficial economic agenda yet saw Trump as the stronger leader concerning national security.
Engagement efforts by labor unions suggest they can make headway with certain demographics, provided the strategies are finely tuned to address long-standing grievances with the political system as well as the immediate economic realities voters face. With over five million union members relying on their coordinated efforts, organized labor continues to push through the limitations posed by inadequate outreach and persistent challenges permeated by Trump’s administration.
The road remains rocky for the Harris campaign as polling closes and Election Day approaches, but organized labor is not backing down. Driving home the importance of human connection, Working America’s director, Matt Morrison, emphasized, “Human connection is what drives the outcome.” The grassroots efforts represent their collective determination to turn skepticism about the Democratic Party, particularly among white working-class voters, back to support—despite the complications posed by the current political climate.
With only days left until ballots are cast, Harris's final outreach efforts hinge on direct communication and identifying voter pain points. Whether or not these strategies resonate strongly enough remains to be seen, yet the stakes couldn't be higher. The outcome of the 2024 election could significantly reshape the labor movement, potentially aligning it more closely with diverse working-class interests, should they successfully make their case against Trump’s starkly different political narrative.
While some canvassers embrace the challenge, hoping their personal touch will shift voter sentiment, realities on the ground may prove to be more complex than anticipated. The clouds of uncertainty overshadowing this election could lead to shifts influential enough to redefine how political organizations strategize moving forward, especially within working-class communities. Regardless of the immediate outcome, organized labor seems intent on reclaiming the narrative by deeply engaging with voters and ensuring their presence is felt long after the ballots are counted.
Politically fraught days lie ahead, and with them lies the opportunity to invigorate the Democratic base—underscoring the importance of bargaining power within the electoral system. One thing is clear: the labor union's focus on directly engaging with voters proves pivotal, potentially shifting political allegiances and forging alliances strong enough to rival the long-held support for Trump.
