Associated Press
The hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President, a rejoinder to Republican Donald Trump’s effort to woo restaurant and hotel workers by promising to make their tips tax-free.
Gwen Mills, the union’s President, said Trump was merely “making a play” for votes while Harris has credibility from having supported unions. She discussed the move with The Associated Press before the union’s announcement of an endorsement.
The endorsement includes a commitment by the union to have its members knock on more than 3.3 million doors for Harris in swing states that include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona and North Carolina.
Trump, the former President, proposed excluding tips from federal income taxes during a June 9 rally in Nevada. Both of Nevada’s Democratic Senators, Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, have supported Trump’s idea, a sign of its potential popularity.
“To those hotel workers and people who get tips, you are going to be very happy, because when I get to office we are going to not charge taxes on tips, people making tips,” Trump said at the event.
The Biden administration has countered that tipped workers would be better off with a higher minimum wage. President Joe Biden stepped down from the ballot roughly two weeks ago and Harris, whose portfolio as Vice President includes organized labor, has embraced many of his existing economic proposals. In speeches, she also has pushed for rules to make it easier for workers to unionize.
After replacing Biden, Harris has swiftly consolidated what can be a fractious Democratic coalition, including lining up support from labor unions. The AFL-CIO, which counts UNITE HERE as a member, has endorsed Harris after having backed Biden. The United Auto Workers on Wednesday formally backed the vice president.
The Harris campaign and its allies have previously indicated that the election’s outcome will hinge on which side generates superior turnout, which is where UNITE HERE believes it can help Democrats.
Rashad Eaton, 43, first canvassed for Democrat John Fetterman’s successful campaign for a Pennsylvania Senate seat in the 2022 elections. A resident of Philadelphia and UNITE HERE member, Eaton works for the food vendor Aramark at basketball, hockey and football games.
He said he hears from voters on a range of issues, like gun violence and corporate greed, but he’ll be canvassing for Harris because “Trump is trying to destroy everything.”
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
10 comments
Ninety Three
August 5, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Unions almost always endorse Demo candidates. This is a non story.
Michael K
August 5, 2024 at 3:58 pm
Great endorsement in key swing states. Vice President Harris is on a roll. She walks the walk.
Ninety Three
August 5, 2024 at 4:04 pm
She definitely doesn’t talk the talk. Two weeks and not a single press conference and not a single sit down. This is Joe Biden part 2. After that Thursday night free lance statement by the word salad girl it’s no wonder she is in full protected status. Can’t think on her feet. Keep giggling and smiling the zombies love it.
Tom
August 5, 2024 at 4:58 pm
Why are you obsessed with press conferences? She’s picking a running mate then heading out of the campaign trail tomorrow. If you’re bored, try watching trump’s handlers haul him off the stage after 35 minutes of shooting himself in the foot last week.
Ninety Three
August 5, 2024 at 5:55 pm
Speaking of shooting ones self in the foot, she should have had her KJP binder or a teleprompter when she was on the tarmac Thursday when she attempted to speak freely. Big mistake, another word salad delivered and even Joe had that WTFO look on his already confused face. Here’s something else for your president. We had a military installation attacked today in Iraq. Can she even find Iraq on a map? God bless our brave service men and women that might have her as CIC. WOW!
Michael K
August 5, 2024 at 4:15 pm
Project 2025 promises to gut union workers’ rights. No matter how hard Trump tries to distance himself from it, it was written by 140 of his former appointees. The Republican party has an abysmal record with unions and workers’ rights.
Ninety Three
August 5, 2024 at 4:23 pm
Project 2025 is nowhere on the Republican platform yet you keep shaking those Pelosi pom poms that it somehow is. There is tons of statements and videos out there on Kammy’s radical positions that suddenly she is changing on. Talk about a chameleon. Who is she? What does she really stand for? When will she hold a press conference? She is a hologram like Joe.
We know how much damage he did 2017-21
August 5, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Being on the actual platform means absolutely nothing. Project 2025 is their dream (hence the vociferous disavowal and distancing). Thou dost protest too much!
Ninety Three
August 5, 2024 at 4:48 pm
How much damage he did?
Inflation, fuel prices, unemployment, world peace, a closed border, crime, etc. Yes those were rough times. Glad to see Israel getting bombed, the stock market down 2000 points, record fuel prices and inflation, millions entering this country illegally, hamas democrats damaging statues and structures burning the US flag and raising theirs right in our capital. Yes these are the good days.
MarvinM
August 5, 2024 at 5:18 pm
I hope no tip workers are going to fall for this nonsense that they might be better off under Trump, I mean, for the reason of he’s going to not tax your tips.
It all depends upon your total tax situation of course (married or single? Kids? Maybe eligible for Earned Income Credit?), but it’s super unlikely that persons earning tip income make so much that exempting just their tip income will result in much if any of a tax decrease for them.
It’s just a gimmick. Don’t fall for it.