MILWAUKEE — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took to the campaign trail on Labor Day, as he stumped in front of Milwaukee-area labor leaders and supporters.
Monday marked Walz’s third trip to Wisconsin since he became Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. His last visit was also to Milwaukee, but unlike the rally held at Fiserv Forum, the latest stop at Laborfest was about appealing to a specific type of voter.
Better wages, better benefits, better lives — that was the message the Harris-Walz campaign hoped union members took home from Monday’s remarks.
“I was a teacher and a coach for a lot of years, and what goes with making a career out of teaching and coaching is I was a dues-paying member of my union,” Walz told the crowd.
From the same stage President Joe Biden spoke from two years earlier, Walz, a former union member himself, talked about Democrats' support for strengthening worker protections and giving workers paid leave.
“If you want to attack me for standing up for collective bargaining, for fair wages, for safe working conditions, for health care and retirement, you roll the damn dice. I’ll take my chances on that,” Walz added.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have all endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris so far.
Meanwhile, one of the largest unions, the Teamsters, which hasn’t endorsed a Republican presidential candidate since 1988, is still holding out.
In July, the organization’s president, Sean O’Brien, spoke at the Republican National Convention, which was reportedly a first. Now, the union wants to meet with Harris before making an endorsement.
“Milwaukee is one of the places where the labor movement was started in this country,” Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said during a speech leading up to Walz.
For Wisconsin’s Democratic leaders, they said support from labor shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“And Wisconsin, you all know what happens when you elect a former teacher, don’t you? We get [expletive] done,” Gov. Tony Evers said.
Though inflation has cooled, Republicans contrasted the Biden administration with Trump’s and used the Labor Day visit to focus on trade policy and wages.
“Tim Walz and Kamala Harris have nothing to offer workers but another term of higher costs and lower wages,” Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair Brian Schimming said in a statement. “Under President Trump, blue-collar families flourished thanks to pro-worker trade deals like the USMCA, low inflation, and booming wages. While Democrats talk a big game, Republicans have a proven record of delivering real results for Wisconsin workers.”
The holiday visit from Walz will kick off yet another busy week on the campaign trail in Wisconsin. President Biden is expected to visit the southwest corner of the state on Thursday and former President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Mosinee on Saturday.