VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – President Joe Biden Shows Unprecedented Support for United Auto Workers Strike
President Joe Biden made history today by joining United Auto Workers (UAW) strikers on their picket line, offering his support for their ongoing work stoppage against major carmakers. The demonstration of support for organized labor is unparalleled in presidential history. President Biden, wearing a union baseball cap, spoke through a bullhorn at a General Motors parts distribution warehouse in a suburb west of Detroit and expressed his belief that the workers deserve a significant raise. He walked along the picket line, exchanging fist bumps with the workers and urging them to continue fighting for better wages.
The president was accompanied by UAW President Shawn Fain, who described the union as engaged in a “kind of war” against “corporate greed.” Fain thanked President Biden for joining them and referred to the moment as a “generation-defining moment.” Labor historians note that a sitting president has never participated directly in a strike before, even during the tenures of pro-union presidents like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
President Biden’s decision to join the picket line comes one day before former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024, visits Detroit to hold his own event to woo auto workers. However, union leaders have made it clear that they do not view Trump as an ally. While lawmakers often show solidarity with unions during strikes, sitting presidents traditionally avoid direct participation in strikes and see themselves more as mediators.
Biden’s involvement in the UAW strike is a significant demonstration of his pro-union stance. Throughout his campaign, he has expressed support for unions and pushed for worker organizing. He has also earned the endorsement of major unions and has avoided high-dollar fundraisers in Hollywood during strikes by writers and actors. During the ongoing UAW strike, President Biden has argued that the auto companies have not done enough for the workers, but he has not explicitly endorsed specific UAW demands.
Biden’s visit to Michigan and his support for unions are strategic moves to secure swing states where unions wield influence, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. The president is leaning on his union support at a time when labor unions enjoy broad public support. Recent polling has shown that 67% of Americans approve of labor unions, offering Biden an advantage over his Republican counterpart.
While the UAW strike presents a dilemma for the Biden administration, given the shift towards electric vehicles and the potential impact on jobs, Biden remains committed to supporting union workers and ensuring that the cars of the future are built in America by unionized American workers in good-paying jobs. His presidency has been marked by vocal support for unionization efforts at Amazon.com facilities and executive actions promoting worker organizing.
Despite some skepticism from the strikers about Biden’s support for electric vehicles, overall, they appreciate that the president wants to support local unions and the working class. The visit, however, raises questions about political motives, with some picketers believing it is simply a ploy to gain more votes.
Although the Biden administration has no formal role in the negotiations, President Biden’s support for the UAW strike sends a strong message that he stands with union workers. The White House pulled back a decision to send key deputies to Michigan, opting instead to monitor talks from Washington, demonstrating their commitment to finding a productive solution.
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