UNITED STATES: U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Michigan on Tuesday to express his backing for the United Auto Workers’ strike against Detroit automakers, putting him at the centre of the conflict that has set his labor supporters against major manufacturers.
Biden, a Democrat, considers himself a pro-union president, and his trip to the state, which coincides with a visit by former President Donald Trump the following day, serves as a clear demonstration of his support for the rights of union workers to strike and engage in collective bargaining.
“Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create,” Biden wrote on X, a social media site that was formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.
“It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs,” he added.
Biden is seeking re-election in the 2024 presidential race and is expected to compete against Trump, who is currently the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
A spokesperson from Trump’s campaign stated that Biden’s visit to Michigan was “a cheap photo op.”
In a statement issued late on Friday, the Trump campaign asserted, “The only reason Biden is going to Michigan on Tuesday is because President Trump announced he is going on Wednesday.”
On Friday, the UAW extended an invitation to Biden to meet with workers on their picket lines and announced plans to expand its strike from Detroit to parts distribution centers nationwide, affecting General Motors (GM.N.) and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler (STLAM.MI). The UAW mentioned that they have made substantial progress in negotiations with Ford Motor Company (F.N.).
Jeremi Suri, a historian and presidential scholar at the University of Texas at Austin, said that “it’s very rare for a president to visit strikers.” He went on to say that not even pro-labor Democratic President Jimmy Carter had ever visited a picket line.
“This would be a major, major shift for Biden to identify the presidency with striking workers rather than siding with industry or staying above the fray,” Suri added.
While many unions have given their endorsement to Biden’s re-election campaign, the UAW has refrained from endorsing him at this time. Biden stated that automakers should “go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW,” echoing the sentiments of union leaders.
The Detroit Three automakers and the UAW both have significant interests tied to federal policy decisions. Automakers are reliant on Washington for substantial subsidies to support their electric vehicle (EV) production efforts. They are engaged in negotiations with the Biden administration regarding forthcoming emissions regulations, which mandate a rapid and costly transition to EVs, a move that the industry finds challenging.
On the other hand, the union is apprehensive that the shift to EVs will result in job losses due to the reduced number of parts required in the production of these vehicles.
Trump intends to visit Detroit to address a rally aimed at auto workers, in an effort to regain support from blue-collar voters who shifted their allegiance to Biden during his 2020 election victory. Trump has urged individual union members to disregard the guidance of their union leaders.
Trump has not stated whether he will visit the picket lines. Earlier in the week, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain criticised Trump, stating that the union was “fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers.”
The last U.S. president to demonstrate such support for striking workers was likely Theodore Roosevelt, Suri stated. In 1902, Roosevelt invited striking coal workers to the White House, along with government officials and management, due to concerns about a coal shortage facing the nation.
Prior to the historic meeting, Roosevelt, like Biden, found himself with little bargaining power.
“There is literally nothing… the national government has any power to do,” Roosevelt whined to U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, as per the recounting of the strike on the Department of Labor website.
Regarding Biden’s potential visit, picket line workers held differing opinions. Some believed that politicians should refrain from getting involved, while others expressed a willingness to embrace the backing if the strike continued.
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