Those comments elicited a sharp counterattack from Trump, who blasted Trumka as an ineffectual leader just as union members across the country prepared for Labor Day celebrations.

“Trumka, the head of the AFL-CIO, represented his union poorly on television this weekend,” Trump said in a tweet. “Some of the things he said were so against the working men and women of our country, and the success of the U.S. itself, that it is easy to see why unions are doing so poorly.”

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The rift comes after the administration submitted a letter late last week formally notifying Congress that it would enter into a trade agreement with Mexico, adding that Canada could be included at a later date “if it is willing.” The letter starts a 90-day process for reworking the trade deal ahead of a transition of presidential power in Mexico, as Trump seeks to fulfill a key campaign promise to revamp NAFTA ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

The deal between Mexico and the United States has many provisions that have earned the support of organized labor, including more robust rules for automobile production.

Speaking on Fox News on Friday, Trumka acknowledged that the initial agreement included some improvements over the status quo but also argued that “it’s pretty hard to see how that would work without having Canada in the deal.” Talks between Canadian and American officials fell apart late last week amid ongoing disagreements over dairy rules and the trade-dispute resolution process.

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Trumka also criticized Trump over the Republican tax law passed last fall, arguing that it would increase the outsourcing of American jobs. In addition, the union leader knocked the president for failing to defend an Obama-era rule mandating additional overtime pay and for not securing legislation to improve U.S. infrastructure, among other issues.

“Unfortunately, to date, the things he has done to hurt workers outpace what he has done to help workers,” Trumka said. “We’ll keep trying to find areas where we can work with him.”