Hotel workers union backs Harris, rejects Trump’s promise of tax-free tips
WASHINGTON — The hotel workers union UNITE HERE has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, a response to Republican Donald Trump’s efforts to woo restaurant and hotel workers by promising to do their jobs. tax free tips.
Gwen Mills, the union president, said Trump was simply “playing the popularity card” while Harris has gained credibility by supporting unions. She discussed the move with The Associated Press before the union’s endorsement was announced.
The endorsement includes a pledge by the union to have its members knock on more than 3.3 million doors for Harris in key states that include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona and North Carolina.
Former President Trump proposed excluding tips from federal income tax at a June 9 rally in Nevada. Nevada’s two Democratic senatorsJacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto have supported Trump’s idea, a sign of his potential popularity.
“Hotel workers and people who get tips are going to be thrilled because when I take office, we’re not going to tax tips on people who get 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 withdrew from the race about two weeks ago, and Harris, whose vice presidential portfolio includes organized labor, has embraced many of his existing economic proposals. In speeches, she has also pushed for rules to make it easier for workers to unionize.
After replacing Biden, Harris quickly consolidated what could be a divisive Democratic coalition, including by securing the support of labor unions. The AFL-CIO, which counts UNITE HERE among its members, endorsed Harris after backing Biden. The United Auto Workers formally endorsed the vice president on Wednesday.
The Harris campaign and its allies have already indicated that the outcome of the election will depend on which side generates the highest turnout, and that’s where UNITE HERE believes it can help Democrats.
Rashad Eaton, 43, first campaigned for Democrat John Fetterman’s successful campaign for a Pennsylvania Senate seat in the 2022 election. A Philadelphia resident and UNITE HERE member, Eaton works for food vendor Aramark at basketball, hockey and football games.
He said he hears from voters on a range of issues, such as gun violence and corporate greed, but that he will campaign for Harris because “Trump is trying to destroy everything.”
