WASHINGTON: With the US election four days away, Vice President Kamala Harris is struggling to secure the support of male volunteers in some labour unions whose phone calls and house visits are needed to get Democratic supporters out to vote, senior officials said on Friday.

Most unions have long supported Democratic candidates, and both Harris and President Joe Biden have backed unions in contract negotiations and championed workers’ rights.

But Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was president from 2017-2021, has made inroads with union workers in recent years and any drop in support for Harris could be a decisive factor in the neck-and-neck race.

If elected, Harris would make US history as the first female and second black president, and sexism and racism have been seen as a hurdle to her winning.

Liz Shuler, president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO, said enthusiasm for Harris is strong overall but sexism is likely undermining support for her in some unions.

“Let’s be honest, there are people who look at a female candidate and at face value dismiss her because, you know, she’s perceived as not being presidential,” she said. “No one questions Donald Trump in that way.”

Finding these men at home can be a challenge and the AFL-CIO is addressing the problem instead by visiting men at their job sites, where chances of a conversation to address their concerns are much higher, she said.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2024