Paul Kengor: Steelworkers union aglow for Biden-Harris

“Did you see what they did to the Cathedral of Learning?”

So asked one of my students, Aaron. I’ve been in Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning countless times — studying, writing, even a touch of romance. My wife and I smile at the memory of my getting on the elevator one day and turning to her (a college junior) to ask how her boyfriend was doing. Tearful, she said, “Well, we just broke up.”

I wasn’t exactly tearful.

The Cathedral of Learning has a special spot in my heart.

“What happened to the Cathedral?” I asked Aaron. He showed me a stunning photo that I thought was surely Photoshopped. The tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere was illuminated with a massive exhortation to vote for Biden-Harris.

“Is this real?” I asked. Yep, sure was.

My initial thought was this was the crass doing of university liberals unable to control their impulses, but this seemed too outrageous for even the most partisan university administrator. Indeed, Pitt officials immediately denounced the political manipulation of their iconic building, issuing a statement saying “an outside party — acting without the University of Pittsburgh’s prior knowledge or permission — projected an image onto the Cathedral of Learning’s exterior. Once alerted of this incident, Pitt Police ordered that the image be removed.” The political stunt occurred without permission.

So who did it? The answer: USW, the steelworkers union.

The partisan act was repeated at other Pittsburgh landmarks in mid-September, including the Gulf Tower, the Carnegie Science Center and all of Mt. Washington. USW spokeswoman Jess Kamm Broomell told the Tribune-Review that union officials launched the “batlight” campaign as an alternative tool in an election where the opportunity for door-to-door campaigning has been limited by the coronavirus pandemic.

This is outrageous. And put aside the sheer crassness for a moment. The display also raises the question: Why would the steelworkers union be aglow for Biden-Harris? For those who loathe Donald Trump, hear me out.

Regardless of how you feel about Trump (I didn’t vote for him in 2016), there’s no denying the man’s remarkable attempt to transform the GOP into a party for blue-collar workers, for hard-hats, for union guys. Good grief, look at how he has taken on China for tariffs, renegotiated NAFTA, fought for manufacturing and fracking, battled against environmentalists, the Green New Deal, and regulations. The typical union guy loves Trump.

Not unusual is a display I drive by every day. A garage building is draped with a huge sign: “BUY AMERICAN HIRE AMERICAN VOTE TRUMP.” Thirty years ago, that sign would have urged: “BUY AMERICAN HIRE AMERICAN VOTE DEMOCRAT.” Not anymore.

How could steelworkers not appreciate or even embrace this? At the least, if the union remains uncomfortable with Trump, why would it act in such a shamelessly partisan way — brazenly illuminating Pittsburgh landmarks for political purposes without authorization — for Trump’s opponent? Mind you, I know why public-sector unions are for Biden-Harris, from teachers’ unions to AFSCME to SEIU, but the steelworkers?

Surely this is yet another example of the union leadership reflexively endorsing the Democratic ticket merely because that’s what they do: Endorse Democrats. As for the rank-and-file guys, I bet they don’t like it.

Politics is poisoning everything. It’s even ruining sports. Must the steelworkers union politicize even our city’s landmarks?