Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate JD Vance speaks at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania on August 28, 2024.
Union Firefighters Greet JD Vance With Boos After 'Most Pro-Worker' Claim
"Donald Trump and JD Vance are scabs and the audience knows it," said one observer.
A day after warmly welcoming Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, attendees of a firefighters' union convention in Boston on Thursday booed the Minnesota governor's GOP opponent, U.S. Sen. JD Vance—who claimed that he and his running mate, former President Donald Trump, are the "most pro-worker Republican ticket in history."
Vance, who represents Ohio, endured multiple rounds of boos, starting from the moment he thanked members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union just after taking the stage.
"Semper Fi, guys," Vance said in response to the boos, using the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, in which he served. "Sounds like we got some fans and some haters. That's okay; let's listen to what I have to say here, and I'll make my pitch."
That pitch to the IAFF—which has yet to endorse a presidential candidate—included the claim that "President Trump and I are proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history, and I want to talk about why we are fighting for working people, why we are going to fight for unions and nonunions alike."
This drew another salvo of boos.
A pro-Democrat account with more than 680,000 followers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, mocked Vance's IAFF reception in a post saying that "Donald Trump and JD Vance are scabs and the audience knows it."
Vance did receive applause after saying that he respects the IAFF for "inviting both sides to take the stage" during the union's convention.
Walz—who is Vice President Kamala Harris' Democratic running mate—touted his party's strong union ties, as well as his own status as a "card-carrying member of Minnesota's teachers union," during his IAFF convention speech on Wednesday. He said that a Harris-Walz administration would support legislation including the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which if passed would expand labor protections including the right to organize and collectively bargain.
"We know that when unions are strong, America's strong," Walz said to robust applause.
Union leaders have warned that a Trump-Vance administration would be inimical to organized labor, with AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler calling the GOP ticket "a corporate CEO's dream" and American Federation of Teachers chief Randi Weingarten hailing the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden as "the most pro-labor, pro-public education leaders our country has seen in modern history."
Last month, United Auto Workers—one of many unions endorsing Harris—called Trump "a scab and a billionaire."
"We know which side we're on," the union added. "Not his."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A day after warmly welcoming Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, attendees of a firefighters' union convention in Boston on Thursday booed the Minnesota governor's GOP opponent, U.S. Sen. JD Vance—who claimed that he and his running mate, former President Donald Trump, are the "most pro-worker Republican ticket in history."
Vance, who represents Ohio, endured multiple rounds of boos, starting from the moment he thanked members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union just after taking the stage.
"Semper Fi, guys," Vance said in response to the boos, using the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, in which he served. "Sounds like we got some fans and some haters. That's okay; let's listen to what I have to say here, and I'll make my pitch."
That pitch to the IAFF—which has yet to endorse a presidential candidate—included the claim that "President Trump and I are proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history, and I want to talk about why we are fighting for working people, why we are going to fight for unions and nonunions alike."
This drew another salvo of boos.
A pro-Democrat account with more than 680,000 followers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, mocked Vance's IAFF reception in a post saying that "Donald Trump and JD Vance are scabs and the audience knows it."
Vance did receive applause after saying that he respects the IAFF for "inviting both sides to take the stage" during the union's convention.
Walz—who is Vice President Kamala Harris' Democratic running mate—touted his party's strong union ties, as well as his own status as a "card-carrying member of Minnesota's teachers union," during his IAFF convention speech on Wednesday. He said that a Harris-Walz administration would support legislation including the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which if passed would expand labor protections including the right to organize and collectively bargain.
"We know that when unions are strong, America's strong," Walz said to robust applause.
Union leaders have warned that a Trump-Vance administration would be inimical to organized labor, with AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler calling the GOP ticket "a corporate CEO's dream" and American Federation of Teachers chief Randi Weingarten hailing the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden as "the most pro-labor, pro-public education leaders our country has seen in modern history."
Last month, United Auto Workers—one of many unions endorsing Harris—called Trump "a scab and a billionaire."
"We know which side we're on," the union added. "Not his."
- Labor Unions Say Tim Walz 'Walks the Walk' on Working-Class Agenda ›
- New AFL-CIO Guide Shows How Trump Agenda Would Be 'Catastrophic' for Workers ›
- 'A Corporate CEO's Dream': Labor Unions Blast Trump-Vance Ticket ›
- Billionaire-Backed JD Vance Postures as Working Class Ally in RNC Speech ›
- Trump and Vance Are the Enemy of Working People ›
- JD Vance, Backed by Trump and Billionaire Cash, Wins GOP Senate Primary in Ohio ›
- On Labor Day, Champions of Working Class Vow to Defeat Trump | Common Dreams ›
A day after warmly welcoming Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, attendees of a firefighters' union convention in Boston on Thursday booed the Minnesota governor's GOP opponent, U.S. Sen. JD Vance—who claimed that he and his running mate, former President Donald Trump, are the "most pro-worker Republican ticket in history."
Vance, who represents Ohio, endured multiple rounds of boos, starting from the moment he thanked members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union just after taking the stage.
"Semper Fi, guys," Vance said in response to the boos, using the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, in which he served. "Sounds like we got some fans and some haters. That's okay; let's listen to what I have to say here, and I'll make my pitch."
That pitch to the IAFF—which has yet to endorse a presidential candidate—included the claim that "President Trump and I are proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history, and I want to talk about why we are fighting for working people, why we are going to fight for unions and nonunions alike."
This drew another salvo of boos.
A pro-Democrat account with more than 680,000 followers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, mocked Vance's IAFF reception in a post saying that "Donald Trump and JD Vance are scabs and the audience knows it."
Vance did receive applause after saying that he respects the IAFF for "inviting both sides to take the stage" during the union's convention.
Walz—who is Vice President Kamala Harris' Democratic running mate—touted his party's strong union ties, as well as his own status as a "card-carrying member of Minnesota's teachers union," during his IAFF convention speech on Wednesday. He said that a Harris-Walz administration would support legislation including the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which if passed would expand labor protections including the right to organize and collectively bargain.
"We know that when unions are strong, America's strong," Walz said to robust applause.
Union leaders have warned that a Trump-Vance administration would be inimical to organized labor, with AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler calling the GOP ticket "a corporate CEO's dream" and American Federation of Teachers chief Randi Weingarten hailing the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden as "the most pro-labor, pro-public education leaders our country has seen in modern history."
Last month, United Auto Workers—one of many unions endorsing Harris—called Trump "a scab and a billionaire."
"We know which side we're on," the union added. "Not his."
- Labor Unions Say Tim Walz 'Walks the Walk' on Working-Class Agenda ›
- New AFL-CIO Guide Shows How Trump Agenda Would Be 'Catastrophic' for Workers ›
- 'A Corporate CEO's Dream': Labor Unions Blast Trump-Vance Ticket ›
- Billionaire-Backed JD Vance Postures as Working Class Ally in RNC Speech ›
- Trump and Vance Are the Enemy of Working People ›
- JD Vance, Backed by Trump and Billionaire Cash, Wins GOP Senate Primary in Ohio ›
- On Labor Day, Champions of Working Class Vow to Defeat Trump | Common Dreams ›