United Auto Workers union endorses Hillary Clinton for president

The president of the United Auto Workers endorsed Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, saying Clinton "understands our issues on trade, understands the complexities of multinational economies, and supports American workers, their families, and communities."

In a statement, Dennis Williams cited Clinton's backing of paid family leave, equal pay for women, and expanding overtime rules as the reasons for his endorsement. He made his decision after surveying members, the Detroit Free Press reports, one week after he said he would not be throwing his support behind Trump. In an internal survey, 28 percent of UAW members said they plan to vote for the presumptive Republican nominee; last summer, Williams called Trump an "enemy of the middle class."

In his statement, Williams called Bernie Sanders a "great friend of the UAW," but added, "Hillary Clinton has shown under pressure her ability to lead and get elected in November." There are 412,000 active UAW members, and more than one million retirees.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up