By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Shawn Fain, the head of the United Auto Workers, in Illinois on Thursday. The purpose of this meeting is to highlight the tentative contract agreements between the union and Detroit’s Big Three Automakers that brought an end to a nearly 45-day strike.
During the meeting, Biden is expected to deliver remarks praising the gains for workers achieved through the deals the UAW secured. He will also discuss the effectiveness of his economic policies, known as “Bidenomics”, and emphasize plans to reopen an auto factory that Stellantis had intended to close, according to the White House.
Additionally, President Biden will engage with other UAW members, meet with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and attend a political fundraiser.
In a historic move in September, Biden showed his support for striking UAW workers in Michigan by joining them on the picket line. This appearance marked the first instance of a U.S. president standing in solidarity with striking workers in modern history. It underscored the significance of union support in the 2024 presidential election, despite unions representing a small fraction of U.S. workers.
Thursday’s meeting is another opportunity for Biden to demonstrate his pro-union credentials to the UAW, which has yet to officially endorse him. This makes the union one of the few remaining holdouts as other labor organizations have thrown their support behind the Democratic president.
In a clear stance, UAW’s Fain stated in September that he would not meet with Trump, citing him as an out-of-touch billionaire who does not prioritize the concerns of workers and the working class.
However, labor leaders and Democratic officials anticipate an endorsement from the UAW for Biden once the union’s members approve their tentative contract agreements. These agreements notably include substantial pay raises for auto workers and the resolution of a strike that targeted General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, the manufacturer of Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles.
Mark Burton, a partner at the law firm of Honigman and a former chief strategist of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, expressed that the relationship between Biden and Fain initially had a rocky start, but Biden’s supportive but less visible role during the UAW negotiations has strengthened their relationship over the past few months. Burton believes that this will likely lead to an endorsement from the UAW in the near future.
The White House disclosed that the meeting will take place in Belvidere, where Stellantis has agreed to reopen a stalled plant and create additional jobs. The fate of this plant was a crucial point of discussion during the negotiations between the UAW and Stellantis.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
