Trump trusted more than Biden on inflation, a top issue for voters, poll shows

Trump trusted more than Biden on inflation, a top issue for voters, poll shows
Trump trusted more than Biden on inflation, a top issue for voters, poll shows
Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — U.S. adults trust former President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden on the issue of inflation by a double-digit margin, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll this month, which found that price increases remain a top concern for voters, with less than six months to go until Election Day.

In all, 85% of poll participants said inflation is an important issue, making it the second-highest priority among adults surveyed. The top priority, the economy, also relates to individuals’ perceptions of price increases.

On each of those issues, the economy and inflation, adults surveyed by ABC News/Ipsos said they trusted Trump over Biden by a margin of 14 percentage points.

Price increases have slowed significantly from a recent peak of about 9%, but inflation still stands more than a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%.

Rising gasoline and housing costs accounted for 70% of the price increases last month, according to data this week from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Inflation is something that affects absolutely everybody,” Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution, told ABC News. “People notice it, whether they’re rich or poor.”

In response to ABC News’ request for comment, the Biden campaign provided a statement touting the president’s economic achievements

“President Biden has delivered where Trump failed the American people: 15 million new jobs and record-low unemployment, bringing down costs, and investing billions in communities that have been left behind for too long,” the statement said.

“All of this is on the line this November: If Trump sets foot in the Oval Office, he’ll make it his mission to undo this progress, ship jobs to China, and send costs through the roof. Voters want a candidate who will make their lives better, and Joe Biden is the only candidate who will,” the statement added.

The Trump campaign did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Todd Fisher, 60, a retired automotive engineer who lives in Miami, Florida, said he’s noticed rapid price increases for everything from haircuts to groceries.

“Everything keeps going up and up and up,” Fisher, who lives on a pension, told ABC News. “I’m not broke or anything but I’d prefer it to be the other way. It’s more money for the bank.”

Trump is better equipped to address inflation, Fisher said, noting that the onset of elevated inflation in 2021 took place under Biden.

“It wasn’t happening when Trump was president,” said Fisher, who identifies as an independent. “I think he’s more aware of what’s going on.”

When asked about the cooldown of price increases that began in 2022, Fisher said it still amounts to price increases, given previous hikes.

“When inflation goes down, it doesn’t necessarily mean the store is going to take everything back to the way it was,” he added.

Analysts who spoke to ABC News said any president retains limited control over the trajectory of prices, but inflation poses a stiff political challenge because progress made on the issue often registers less with voters than the initial problem did.

“For voters, they feel increases in inflation are extremely salient,” Francesco D’Acunto, a Georgetown University finance professor who studies how people understand economic news, told ABC News. “They feel this is very problematic and negative for their own finances.”

“But there is no symmetric reaction on the decreasing end of inflation,” D’Acunto added. “Prices still keep growing but at a slower pace.”

Elevated inflation aside, the economy is performing well on other key metrics. Unemployment stands near a 65-year low, while economic growth remains solid and the major stock indexes are fresh off of record highs.

The robust performance has defied expectations amid a prolonged period of high interest rates, which have sent borrowing rates soaring for everything from mortgages to credit cards. The Fed earlier this month opted for the sixth consecutive time to hold interest rates steady, keeping them at a level last seen in 2001.

Still, 43% of respondents surveyed by ABC News/Ipsos said they’ve become worse off financially under the Biden presidency. Among those who say they’ve held steady financially, Biden leads by a wide margin of 66% to 21% percentage points, poll results showed.

Kenneth Vickers, 34, an elevator constructor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, said his finances improved about a year ago when he joined a union. But, he added, inflation remains a top concern.

“I make a good amount of money but a lot of other people don’t,” Vickers said. “It’s difficult to get through the day to day, week to week and month to month issues that might come around when you’ve got to pay your bills.”

Vickers, who identifies as an independent, said he trusts Trump to handle the issue better than Biden.

“Trump is a businessman,” Vickers added. “He’s been through the wringer as far as running a business and maintaining wealth.”

Even so, Vickers said he remains undecided about who he’ll vote for in November, noting other issues of importance to him, such as immigration and foreign policy.

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Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama vote against joining UAW, a blow to union’s expansion in the South

Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama vote against joining UAW, a blow to union’s expansion in the South
Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama vote against joining UAW, a blow to union’s expansion in the South
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) — Thousands of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama voted against joining the United Auto Workers (UAW) on Friday, delivering a significant defeat for the union one month after it prevailed at a Volkswagen facility in nearby Tennessee.

Workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama cast ballots against joining the union by a margin of 2,642 to 2,045, or 56% to 44%, the National Labor Relations Board said.

The result hinders the UAW’s momentum as it seeks to organize additional plants throughout the South, where it has struggled for decades to gain a foothold.

Analysts expected a difficult contest at the Alabama Mercedes-Benz facility because the company conducted an anti-union campaign, whereas officials at Volkswagen had remained neutral toward worker organization efforts.

Still, the union’s landslide victory last month at a Volkswagen facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee came as a surprise to many observers. The breakthrough marked the first car plant in the South to unionize with a vote since the 1940s.

In both recent campaigns, the union faced stiff opposition from local elected officials. Six Southern governors, including Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, both Republicans, issued a statement last month condemning UAW organization efforts in the region.

“We want to keep good paying jobs and continue to grow the American auto manufacturing sector here,” the governors wrote. “A successful unionization drive will stop this growth in its tracks, to the detriment of American workers.”

In recent months, UAW officials have touted an aggressive campaign to expand the union’s membership. Over 10,000 non-union auto workers have signed cards in support of the UAW, and organizing campaigns have begun at more than two dozen facilities, the union said in a statement in March.

The burst of activity followed a high-profile strike carried out by UAW workers against the Big Three U.S. automakers last fall: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, formerly known as Chrysler.

The standoff contributed to billions of dollars in losses for the companies and put thousands of workers temporarily out of work. But the gamble paid off, helping the UAW achieve historic wage gains and other long-sought reforms.

In recent years, the U.S. labor movement has grown in popularity and made headlines with attention-grabbing strikes, but it has overall failed to increase the share of the national workforce that belongs to a union.

Sixty-seven percent of Americans approve of unions, a Gallup poll last year showed, putting the favorability of unions near its highest level since 1965.

Still, union membership has declined. Only 10% of U.S. workers belonged to unions last year, which is little changed from the year prior, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. However, that figure marks a steep drop from a peak of nearly 25% in the 1950s.

The UAW’s defeat in Alabama on Friday amounts to a missed opportunity for membership gains, since a vote to join the union would have added about 5,000 workers to its membership rolls. The UAW presently has declares a membership of roughly 400,000 workers.

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Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 40,000 for the 1st time

Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 40,000 for the 1st time
Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 40,000 for the 1st time
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 40,000 for the first time in history on Thursday.

This is a significant and symbolic milestone for the index that tracks 30 of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the U.S.

The Dow is now up about 6% so far this year.

The recent rally in the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq has been fueled by data showing inflation is cooling, which would allow the Federal Reserve to begin its long-awaited interest rate cuts.

Inflation data released on Wednesday showed that price increases slowed slightly from the annual rate recorded in the previous month, ending a surge of inflation that stretches back to the beginning of 2024.

In recent months, the Fed had all but abandoned its previous forecast of three quarter-point rate cuts this year. But the slowdown of price hikes offered hope of rekindling those plans.

“The combination of the Fed likely to be lowering interest rates because inflation is moderating with a resilient economy is a beautiful scenario for a bull market,” Ed Yardeni, the president of market advisory firm Yardeni Research and former chief investment strategist at Deutsche Bank’s U.S. equities division, told ABC News.

“It’s more enjoyable to say the market is going to these nice, round numbers in record-high territory than coming back down to them,” Yardeni added.

The inflation news on Wednesday sent each of the major stock indexes up more than 5% for the day, propelling all of them to record highs. In early trading on Thursday, the Dow had ticked up a quarter of a percentage point.

Observers have also attributed this year’s stock market rally to the rise in value of some major tech firms, driven largely by enthusiasm about artificial intelligence.

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New inflation data could signal cheaper grocery prices, more discounts, expert says

New inflation data could signal cheaper grocery prices, more discounts, expert says
New inflation data could signal cheaper grocery prices, more discounts, expert says
Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — As Americans continue to experience sticker shock with volatile food costs, a slight ease of inflation last month could provide relief for consumers’ wallets — particularly at the grocery store.

Food prices rose at a much slower pace than overall inflation since the same time last month, the Department of Labor shared Wednesday in the latest consumer price index findings.

The food at home index — food purchased at grocery stores — declined by 0.2%, while the food away from home index — everything from takeout to dining at restaurants — rose 0.3% over the month, according to the Department of Labor.

Dr. Michael Swanson, Wells Fargo’s Chief Agriculture Economist, told ABC News that this is the first time in a while that consumers have spent more money on dining than on groceries.

“It surprises people because it’s kind of a new development in the last couple of years where we finally saw the dollars exceed spending away from home,” he said. “When you buy food away from home, 70% of that is overhead and labor, so you’re really only buying 30% of the food with the dollar that you spend.”

Compared to the same time last year, there has been a 3% increase in the gap between the two categories, which Swanson said indicates will “really push people to prepare more meals at home and take it with them, because it’s such a big premium right now to be eating away from home with this inflation rate differential.”

Some staple food at home products fell in April compared to a year ago, including bread, poultry and eggs, the CPI data showed.

Prices for other items like breakfast sausage and ice cream, however, increased at a pace near the level of overall inflation.

“Even when we talk about food at home, there’s a huge range between highly prepared and more basic ingredients,” Swanson said. “You can save a lot of money even at the supermarket buying some food that’s less prepared.”

Looking at the CPI numbers, Swanson said, “is really important” because it offers “a much bigger survey” thanks to the thousands of government price trackers who gather the new data, rather than if shoppers go with their “gut instinct about what’s in their market basket.”

What he has observed ahead of the summer months is retailers getting more customers in the door with deals.

“We’re hearing from customers that manufactured food is gonna be more of an emphasis on what we used to see a lot,” such as “coupons or buy one get one or promotions,” Swanson said. 

He added that “consumers should get their game on — because if you shop around you’re going to find some pretty good promotions. But if you don’t, you’ll miss them.”

Aldi, for example, recently announced discounts on hundreds of popular seasonal best-sellers from steaks to road trip snacks.

“I do expect it to continue because from what we’ve seen, all these companies are really battling for market share — so we’re gonna see more of this competition for market share, and this usually reflects either quality or price and hopefully both,” Swanson said.

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Walgreens announces it will sell generic version of over-the-counter Narcan

Walgreens announces it will sell generic version of over-the-counter Narcan
Walgreens announces it will sell generic version of over-the-counter Narcan
RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Walgreens Boots Alliance announced Wednesday that it plans to sell its own generic version of the overdose reversal drug Narcan.

Narcan is given as a nasal spray and the active ingredient in the medication — naloxone — can quickly restore breathing if someone is experiencing an opioid overdose and if it is administered in time.

In March 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan to be distributed without a prescription — a milestone advocates have said will make it easier to save lives amid the country’s ongoing opioid epidemic.

The nasal spray became available in fall 2023 at pharmacies, drugstores and grocery stores as well as online retailers with a suggested price of $44.99 for a two-dose box.

Walgreens said its over-the-counter version will be called Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray and will be priced at $34.99.

The pharmacy said the generic version is currently available online and will be available at stores across the country by the end of the month. It will be found in the pain aisle.

“As a leading healthcare services company rooted in a retail pharmacy footprint, Walgreens is committed to removing barriers to naloxone access,” Dr. Priya Mammen, senior medical director in the Walgreens office of clinical integrity, said in a press release.

“As an emergency physician, I have for years combatted the devastating impacts of the opioid overdose epidemic and worked tirelessly to save lives. Expanding access to naloxone is a critical step in empowering individuals, families, and communities to act and be part of the solution. We must all confront this crisis head-on to bring change,” the statement continued.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says naloxone is safe for bystanders to administer to anyone who appears to be experiencing an overdose and will not hurt users if it turns out they are not experiencing an overdose.

Harm reduction groups and other experts have been pushing for easier access to naloxone, saying over-the-counter status means people won’t have to speak to a pharmacist to purchase the drug, which lowers barriers to access and reduces stigma.

Walgreens did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for comment.

The U.S. has been battling a drug overdose epidemic for years. According to provisional data from the CDC published on Wednesday, there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023, a high number albeit lower than the 111,029 deaths recorded in 2022.

The majority of these deaths were due to opioids, particularly synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

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Red Lobster closes multiple locations as company prepares to file for bankruptcy

Red Lobster closes multiple locations as company prepares to file for bankruptcy
Red Lobster closes multiple locations as company prepares to file for bankruptcy
In this undated file photo, a Red Lobster Restaurant is shown. (Jeff Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Red Lobster has abruptly closed at least 99 locations across the country with restaurants shutting their doors in at least 27 states.

Tagex Brands, a company that handles restaurant liquidation auctions, told ABC News that Red Lobster recently contacted them to auction off items from 52 locations that will be closing.

The popular seafood restaurant chain began eyeing Chapter 11 to consolidate debts last month. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the company is now expected to file for bankruptcy “as early as next week,” according to people familiar with the matter.

The decision comes just months after a major investor blamed Red Lobster’s fumbled “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” promotion for costing the restaurant chain millions in losses.

During an earnings call last year, Red Lobster’s former Thailand-based investor, Thai Union Group, shared that the menu promotion contributed to its more than $11 million third quarter operating loss.

Ludovic Garnier, chief financial officer for Thai Union Group, told ABC News this week, “Something which was different from our expectation is the proportion of the people selecting this promotion was much higher compared to expectation.”

Financial reporter and affordable lifestyle expert Jennifer Streaks explained that because “consumers now are looking for value when they’re going outside of the home” she thinks “consumers really ate more than Red Lobster could afford.”

With inflation prompting more Americans to pinch pennies, experts are seeing consumers pivot to restaurants that can offer good value for price, and fast casual chains are seeing a boost in popularity.

“Red lobster is not a fast casual environment. It may be fast seafood, but seafood is still [an] expensive dining experience,” Streaks added.

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Inflation cooled slightly in April, ending monthslong surge in prices

Inflation cooled slightly in April, ending monthslong surge in prices
Inflation cooled slightly in April, ending monthslong surge in prices
Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Consumer prices rose 3.4% in April compared to a year ago, slowing slightly from the previous month and offering a welcome sign for the Federal Reserve in its yearslong inflation fight. The fresh data matched economists’ expectations.

After falling dramatically over the course of last year, inflation had accelerated in recent months. Recalcitrant prices forced the Fed to postpone highly anticipated interest rate cuts, leaving borrowing rates high for everything from credit cards to mortgages.

Price increases have slowed significantly from a peak of about 9%, but inflation still stands more than a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%.

The latest finding indicated a mild cooldown from the 3.5% annual inflation rate recorded in March.

Core inflation — a closely watched measure that strips out volatile food and energy prices — increased 3.6% over the year ending in March, slowing slightly from the previous month, the data showed.

Roughly 70% of the monthly increase in consumer prices owed to an uptick in gasoline and housing costs, the BLS said.

Food prices rose at a much slower pace than overall inflation, making up a bright spot in the report. Prices for some grocery store staples fell in April compared to a year ago, including bread, poultry and eggs.

Prices for breakfast sausage and ice cream, on the other hand, increased at a pace near the level of overall inflation.

In response to elevated prices, the Fed earlier this month opted to hold interest rates steady for the sixth consecutive time, keeping them at a level last seen in 2001. For now, the Fed has all but abandoned its previous forecast of three quarter-point rate cuts this year.

Speaking at a financial conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said inflation has remained higher than expected, putting pressure on the central bank to leave its high interest rates in place.

“We did not expect this to be a smooth road,” Powell told attendees at an annual gathering of the Foreign Bankers’ Association. “But these [inflation readings] were higher than I think anybody expected. What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work.”

In theory, high borrowing costs weigh on consumer and business spending, which in turn slows the economy and reduces demand.

In recent months, the economy has shown signs of a slowdown. A worse-than-expected jobs report this month showed that employers hired 175,000 people in April, a significant drop off from the previous month.

The underwhelming jobs report sent the stock market higher since investors took it as indication that the Fed may rekindle plans for interest rate cuts.

Gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced in the economy, recorded 1.6% annual growth over the first three months of the year, the Commerce Department said last month. That figure marked a steep slowdown from a 3.4% annual rate measured over the final quarter of last year.

Despite the slowdown, economic output and hiring remain solid. The burst of stubborn price increases, meanwhile, has only lasted a few months.

The outlook for prices defies easy predictions, Powell said in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

“Is inflation going to be more persistent going forward?” Powell said. “I don’t think we know that yet.”

“I think we need more than a quarter’s worth of data to really make a judgment on that,” he added.

The outlook for prices defies easy predictions, Powell said in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

“Is inflation going to be more persistent going forward?” Powell said. “I don’t think we know that yet.”

“I think we need more than a quarter’s worth of data to really make a judgment on that,” he added.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Inflation expected to have cooled slightly in April

Inflation cooled slightly in April, ending monthslong surge in prices
Inflation cooled slightly in April, ending monthslong surge in prices
Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The White House and Wall Street will closely watch Wednesday’s inflation report for any signs that the Federal Reserve’s aggressive cooldown efforts are working.

After falling dramatically over the course of last year, inflation has accelerated in recent months. Recalcitrant prices have forced the Fed to postpone highly anticipated interest rate cuts, leaving borrowing rates high for everything from credit cards to mortgages.

Economists expect prices to have risen 3.4% in April compared to a year ago, which would mark a slight cooldown from the previous month.

Price increases have slowed significantly from a peak of about 9%, but inflation still stands more than a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%.

A spike in housing and gasoline prices at the outset of this year has helped prolong the nation’s bout of elevated inflation. Meanwhile, economic performance has been solid, boosting consumer demand and putting upward pressure on prices.

In response to elevated prices, the Fed earlier this month opted to hold interest rates steady for the sixth consecutive time, keeping them at a level last seen in 2001. For now, the Fed has all but abandoned its previous forecast of three quarter-point rate cuts this year.

Speaking at a financial conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said inflation has remained higher than expected, putting pressure on the central bank to leave its high interest rates in place.

“We did not expect this to be a smooth road,” Powell told attendees at an annual gathering of the Foreign Bankers’ Association. “But these [inflation readings] were higher than I think anybody expected. What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work.”

In theory, high borrowing costs weigh on consumer and business spending, which in turn slows the economy and reduces demand.

In recent months, the economy has shown signs of a slowdown. A worse-than-expected jobs report this month showed that employers hired 175,000 people in April, a significant drop off from the previous month.

The underwhelming jobs report sent the stock market higher since investors took it as indication that the Fed may rekindle plans for interest rate cuts.

Gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced in the economy, recorded 1.6% annual growth over the first three months of the year, the Commerce Department said last month. That figure marked a steep slowdown from a 3.4% annual rate measured over the final quarter of last year.

Despite the slowdown, economic output and hiring remain solid. The burst of stubborn price increases, meanwhile, has only lasted a few months.

The outlook for prices defies easy predictions, Powell said in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

“Is inflation going to be more persistent going forward?” Powell said. “I don’t think we know that yet.”

“I think we need more than a quarter’s worth of data to really make a judgment on that,” he added.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama are voting to join the UAW. Here’s what’s at stake for workers nationwide.

Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama are voting to join the UAW. Here’s what’s at stake for workers nationwide.
Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama are voting to join the UAW. Here’s what’s at stake for workers nationwide.
Mercedes-Benz logo see on a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in Edmonton, on October 26, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Thousands of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama are voting on a union this week, marking a major test for the United Auto Workers just one month after a watershed victory in nearby Tennessee.

The UAW faces a more difficult contest this time around because Mercedes-Benz has carried out an anti-union campaign, attempting to dissuade workers and tilt the outcome, experts told ABC News.

A victory would hold significant implications, redoubling the union’s momentum as it seeks to organize a slew of additional plants throughout the South, where auto workers have struggled to gain a foothold for decades, they said.

A loss, however, could scare off workers at other facilities and derail the union’s success.

Here’s what’s at stake for auto workers and the wider labor movement:

Can the UAW sustain its momentum and unionize more carmakers?

The union vote this week involving roughly 5,000 Mercedes-Benz workers near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the latest sign of momentum for the UAW since union members went on strike against the Big 3 U.S. automakers last fall.

The high-profile standoff contributed to billions of dollars in losses for the companies and put thousands of workers temporarily out of work. But the gamble paid off, helping the union achieve historic wage gains and other long-sought reforms.

The breakthrough triggered a wave of UAW organizing, the union says. Over 10,000 non-union autoworkers have signed cards in support of the UAW in recent months and organizing campaigns have broken out at more than two dozen facilities, the union said in a statement in March.

Last month, the workers at a Volkswagen facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the UAW by a landslide margin of 2,628 to 985. The victory marked the first car plant in the South to unionize with a vote since the 1940s.

“To see Tennessee make history as far as the South — it’s big,” Sammie Ellis, 35, an assembly worker for Mercedes-Benz at the plant in Alabama who supports the union, told ABC News. “It sends a clear message.”

A union, Ellis said, would deliver better health benefits and pay, as well as “all-around respect for employees.”

In addition to the plant in Alabama, the UAW is aiming to unionize 12 facilities across the South, Stephen Silvia, a professor at American University and the author of “The UAW’s Southern Gamble,” told ABC News.

“There’s a question of whether the UAW will be successful in keeping its momentum going,” Silvia said.

Can unions win in large workplaces when facing an anti-union campaign?

The union drive in Alabama poses several challenges when compared with the UAW recent victory in Chattanooga, most notably the presence of an anti-union campaign, experts said.

The circumstances touch on a question that has loomed over the labor movement in recent years: Can unions win at big workplaces, such as Amazon warehouses or auto plants, if they face opposition from an employer?

In April 2022, warehouse workers at a 6,000-worker Amazon facility formed the first-ever U.S. union at the company, though no additional warehouses have unionized since. On the other hand, Starbucks workers have succeeded in unionizing roughly 400 of the company’s stores, which range in number but typically involve about 30 employees.

In Chattanooga, Volkswagen took a posture of neutrality toward the union, forgoing input about whether workers should organize. By contrast, Mercedes-Benz has undertaken a coordinated effort to dissuade workers from supporting the effort, said Ellis.

Officials at the facility have put up flyers, worn hats and handed out towels that all bear the same message: “Vote no,” according to Ellis.

“They are heavy on voting no,” Ellis added.

In response to ABC News’ request for comment, Mercedes-Benz said in a statement that it supports workers’ right to determine whether they want union representation.

“Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) fully respects our Team Members’ choice whether to unionize and we look forward to participating in the election process to ensure every Team Member has a chance to cast their own secret-ballot vote, as well as having access to the information necessary to make an informed choice,” a company spokesperson said.

“We believe open and direct communication with our Team Members is the best path forward to ensure continued success,” the spokesperson added.

When asked about the implications for unions seeking to organize large workplaces amid employer opposition, Art Wheaton, director of labor studies at the Worker Institute at Cornell University said, “If they win, it does help move the needle.”

What message will the UAW send to the wider labor movement?

In recent years, the U.S. labor movement has grown in popularity and made headlines with high-profile strikes, but it has failed to increase the share of the workforce that belongs to a union.

Sixty-seven percent of Americans approve of unions, a Gallup poll last year showed, putting the favorability of unions near its highest level since 1965.

Still, union membership has shrunk. Only 10% of U.S. workers belonged to unions last year, little changed from the year prior, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. That figure marks a steep drop from a peak of nearly 25% in the 1950s.

A victory at the Alabama plant could show that the resurgent popularity and militancy of unions can translate into membership gains, Harry Katz, a professor of collective bargaining at Cornell University, told ABC News.

“Maybe it suggests [there’s] more momentum for organizing than we’ve seen in the past,” Katz said.

Ellis, the Mercedes-Benz worker in Alabama, said he hopes a victory will show workers that unions help deliver a path to a decent livelihood.

“Those people will be able to come into these manufacturers and acquire skills that will provide great pay, great benefits and allow them to take care of themselves and their families,” Ellis said.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Cream cheese recalled over salmonella concerns sold at Aldi, Hy-Vee

Cream cheese recalled over salmonella concerns sold at Aldi, Hy-Vee
Cream cheese recalled over salmonella concerns sold at Aldi, Hy-Vee
FDA

(NEW YORK) — Aldi and Hy-Vee shoppers, check your refrigerator for cream cheese products that have been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.

Details of Aldi, Schreiber Foods, and Hy-Vee cream cheese recalls

“In cooperation with Schreiber Foods, Inc., and out of an abundance of caution, ALDI Inc., recalls its Happy Farms Whipped Cream Cheese Spread, Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread, Cream Cheese Spread, and Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread products,” the company said in a statement on May 9.

Aldi did not state in the recall announcement if there have been any reported illnesses linked to the recalled cream cheese products.

A representative for Aldi and Schreiber Foods did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

On May 6, Hy-Vee, Inc., an Iowa-based grocery retailer, issued a voluntary recall on two varieties of its “Hy-Vee Cream Cheese Spread out of an abundance of caution due to the potential for contamination with Salmonella,” the company said in its notice with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The products were manufactured at different third-party facilities around the Midwest, according to Hy-Vee’s recall notice. The products were sold under Hy-Vee’s private label and bulk packaging programs.

“The manufacturers of these products notified Hy-Vee of the potential issue and out of an abundance of caution Hy-Vee is voluntarily recalling these specific products,” the recall statement said.

As of the time of publication, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products sold at Hy-Vee. A representative for Hy-Vee did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Cream cheese product label information for recalled products

A total of four cream cheese spreads in 8-ounce cup containers sold under the Aldi brand name have been impacted by this recall: Regular cream cheese, Whipped cream cheese, Chive and onion, and Strawberry.

The whipped cream cheese bears the UPC code 4099100101881; regular cream cheese UPC code is 4099100101737; Chive and onion UPC code is 4099100101751; and Strawberry UPC code is 4099100101744.

Each product had a range of sell-by dates from 08/30/2024 to 09/22/2024. Click here for the specific sell by dates on each, plus additional product label information.

The recalled Hy-Vee Cream Cheese Spread, sold in 12-ounce containers, bears the UPC code 0075450096120 and has a use by/best by date of 10/1/2024.

The second recalled product, Hy-Vee Whipped Cream Cheese Spread, sold in 8-ounce containers, has the UPC code 0075450096132 and two use by/best by dates: 8/7/2024; 8/14/2024.

Where recalled cream cheese products were sold

Aldi stores across 29 states

The affected products were sold at select Aldi stores in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Hy-Vee stores across eight states

The two affected Hy-Vee cream cheese products were distributed and sold at Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Drugstore and Dollar Fresh Market locations, and Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh convenience stores across eight Midwestern states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

What to do with recalled cream cheese products

Aldi, along with Schreiber Foods, have urged customers who may have products affected by this recall “to discard it immediately or return it to their local store for a full refund.”

Customers with further questions can also call a toll-free number or contact consumer relations for Schreiber Foods via email.

“ALDI sincerely regrets the inconvenience and concern caused as a result of this recall,” the company said.

Hy-Vee stated that all of the affected items have been removed from shelves and encouraged any customers who purchased the products to “dispose of the product or return it to their local Hy-Vee store for a full refund.”

Customers with additional questions can reach out to the customer care center by phone.

Potential health impacts, symptoms of salmonella

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and symptoms typically begin six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.

Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days. But some — especially children younger than five years and adults 65 years and older, or people with weakened immune systems — may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization, the CDC states.

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