UAW president Shawn Fain criticizes low wages in Mexico and China, Digi Mart USA News: United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain said Wednesday that low wages in Mexico and China are among the main trade problems facing the United States. He also defended “strategic tariffs” to protect domestic companies.
During a press conference following the Democratic victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections, Fain defended Mexican workers and blamed large corporations for exploiting wage differences. He said the union does not want to punish Mexican workers and wants them to have a dignified standard of living.
The union leader said Canada is not the problem because it pays decent wages and maintains a good standard of living. However, he warned that wage gaps with countries such as Mexico and China, where he said workers are paid poverty wages, are fueling a race to the bottom in labor conditions that harms American workers.
Fain said “the enemy is greed” of large corporations that exploit wage differences. He defended the use of “strategic and selective” tariffs but criticized President Donald Trump’s trade policy for imposing indiscriminate duties without a coherent industrial strategy.
He expressed hope that Democrats, who will control both chambers of Congress beginning in January, will reach agreements with Trump to “eliminate the stupid tariffs that make no sense” while keeping those that protect U.S. production.
