- 25% auto tariffs delayed until April after automaker negotiations
- UAW claims 3M US jobs lost since 1994 NAFTA implementation
- Union blames corporations—not tariffs—for potential consumer price hikes
- Detroit manufacturing hub cited as regional case study for trade impacts
The United Auto Workers union has thrown its weight behind President Trump's controversial auto tariffs on Mexico and Canada, framing them as critical triage for an economy still bleeding manufacturing jobs three decades after NAFTA's creation. UAW President Shawn Fain likened the 25% duties to applying pressure to a woundduring a fiery Sunday interview, while carefully avoiding direct praise for the Republican leader his union previously opposed.
Industry analysts warn the delayed tariffs—now set for April implementation—could disrupt tightly integrated North American supply chains. Auto manufacturers move an estimated $100B in components annually across the Canada-US border alone. Ford's Windsor engine plant, which ships 70% of its production to American assembly lines, exemplifies this interdependence. This isn't flipping a switch,cautioned Center for Automotive Research VP Kristen Dziczek. A 25% cost shock would force immediate production cuts.
Fain countered that corporations bear responsibility for any consumer impacts. If Ford chooses to jack up F-150 prices instead of reshoring transmission plants from Guanajuato, that's their greed—not the tariff's fault,he stated. The UAW's Tuesday policy paper emphasized Mexico's $3.50 average hourly wage for auto workers versus $28 in Michigan, arguing stagnant US wages prove existing trade deals prioritize profits over people.
The union's tempered support for Trump marks a seismic shift after endorsing Kamala Harris in 2024. Political strategists attribute this to the administration's promised $2B retooling fund for Midwestern factories. Workers care more about paychecks than party lines,noted former Biden labor advisor Cedric Richmond. When Ohio's Lordstown plant reopened making electric Hummers, those 1,100 jobs spoke louder than any campaign ad.
Critics argue tariffs alone can't resolve automation-driven job declines. US vehicle production has risen 12% since 2010 while manufacturing employment dropped 7%. Fain acknowledged this during his Warren, MI speech: We're not Luddites. But when Musk lobbies against tariffs while building Cybertrucks in Texas with imported batteries, that's hypocrisy.The UAW plans to unveil a $750M worker retraining initiative alongside April's tariff rollout.