Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and UAW President Shawn Fain (left) speak at a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike the Big Three automakers on September 15, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
Sen. Bernie Sanders addressed striking autoworkers in Detroit on Friday, urging working people across the U.S. to show solidarity with the walkout.
Sanders called out the CEOs of General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford, all of whom earned over $20 million last year, questioning their pay.
“It’s time for you to end your greed,” Sanders declared. “It’s time for you to treat your employees with the respect and dignity they deserve. It’s time to sit down and negotiate a fair contract.”
The independent senator from Vermont has positioned the strikes as a crucial moment in a larger campaign to improve living standards for the working class nationwide.
“Let’s come together to eliminate corporate greed, rebuild the disappearing middle class, and create an economy that benefits everyone, not just the top one percent,” Sanders emphasized.
“Let every American, in every state, stand with the UAW,” he implored.
Nearly 13,000 United Auto Workers members initiated the strike on Friday after failing to reach an agreement with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis on Thursday night.
The workers are specifically targeting key plants in Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. This marks the first time in labor history that GM, Ford, and Stellantis have all been simultaneously targeted.
Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, has consistently centered income inequality in his previous campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination. He garnered significant support with his unwavering criticism of corporate America.
Sanders assumed the role of chairman for the powerful Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in February. One of his first actions as chair was to threaten to subpoena Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz over allegations of union busting.
According to Sanders, UAW workers are fighting to restore the days when unionized automobile jobs served as the gold standard for the middle class.
“When auto workers can’t afford to buy the cars they make, it negatively impacts the economy,” Sanders pointed out.
United Auto Workers members attend a solidarity rally as the UAW strikes the Big Three automakers on September 15, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
UAW President Shawn Fain stated earlier on Friday that striking workers are “fighting for justice for the working class.” He accused the automakers of price-gouging consumers, ripping off taxpayers, and shortchanging workers.
President Joe Biden, who has sought a strong alliance with the labor movement, delivered more measured remarks on Friday, but emphasized that the automakers should ensure that “record corporate profits mean record contracts” for their workers.
The UAW is demanding a 40% hourly wage increase, a 32-hour workweek, the reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments, the return of traditional pensions, and the elimination of compensation tiers, among other requests.
According to Ford, the union’s demands would more than double the automaker’s labor costs and put the company at a disadvantage compared to non-unionized car companies like Tesla and foreign manufacturers like Toyota.
GM CEO Mary Barra expressed “extreme frustration and disappointment” with the strikes.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
