Stung by Trump, machinists union campaigns for affordability in midterms

One of the largest labor unions in the US targets eight battleground states in ‘workers v billionaires’ campaign

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), one of the largest labor unions in the US, has launched a “workers v billionaires” political campaign tour targeting members in eight battleground states and encouraging them to support pro-worker candidates in the midterms.

IAM has nearly 700,000 active and retired members in North America, covering workers at corporations that include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, United Airlines and Harley-Davidson. The union is targeting members and voters in Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Illinois.

“We made a strategic commitment that we’re going to be the most engaged that we have ever been in the history of our union in working,” said Brian Bryant, international president of IAM. “We’re living in an economy that only favors billionaires and does not favor working people, and it’s time that Congress and this administration realize who they should be looking out for.”

Bryant emphasized that several union members, including those with IAM, voted for Trump in 2024 because of promises that he would fix the economy and make things more affordable. Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed: “When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.”