TJ Sabula, the Ford plant worker who yelled “pedophile protector” at President Donald Trump during his visit, has the full backing of his powerful union amid a paid suspension … and they’re fighting to keep his job.

United Auto Workers Union Vice President Laura Dickerson tells TMZ … “[TJ Sabula] believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.”

Dickerson adds … “The UAW will ensure that our member receives the full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights as a union member.”

We showed you the video first — TJ yelled out “pedophile protector” at Trump as he was walking through the factory … and it clearly got under his skin. In response, POTUS mouthed “F*** you” to TJ before flipping him off.

For his part, TJ told the Washington Post he seized his opportunity and has no remorse … but he is concerned about his job and future employment and feels he’s being “targeted for political retribution” for “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends.”