The president of the United States was present at the protests in Michigan and supported the unions in the second week of forceful measures.
On the way to presidential elections in the United Statesthe president of that country, Joe Biden joined the protests of striking auto workers since September 15. “Wall Street didn’t build this country, the working middle class did”said the president with a megaphone at the center of the protests in Wayne, Michigan.
Biden’s appearance, the first visit by a US president to striking workers in modern history, occurs a day before Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump addresses auto workers in Michigan. The back-to-back events highlight the importance of union support in the 2024 presidential election, even though they represent a small fraction of American workers.
Democrat Biden traveled to a parts distribution center in Belleville, Michigan, owned by General Motors and joined dozens of picketers outsider. “Companies were struggling, now they’re doing incredibly well. And you know what? You should be doing incredibly well too,” Biden said through a megaphone. “Keep in that way”. He was referring to the bailout of automakers in 2009, which included pay cuts. “They deserve what they’ve earned. And they’ve earned a lot more than what they’re paid now,” he said.
To the question of whether supported the 40% raise the union had asked for, Biden simply said, “Yes.” Flanked by Secret Service agents, Biden exchanged fist bumps and took selfies with the audience after his speech while “Small Town,” a song by John Mellencamp, played in the background.
His Republican rival Donald Trump, favorite to be his party’s 2024 presidential candidate, will address hundreds of workers at a meeting at an auto supplier in a Detroit suburb on Wednesday. The supplier, Drake Enterprises, is a non-union manufacturer, according to an AFL-CIO spokesperson. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
To date, the UAW has refused to endorse any of the 2024 presidential candidates, making it the only major union not to endorse Biden. UAW workers this month began selective strikes against General Motors, Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis seeking pay rises to match CEO pay rises, shorter workweeks and job security, as the industry moves toward electric vehicles. Only 10.1% of American workers were union members in 2022, but Their political influence is enormous, as the states in which they are strong often swing between Democrats and Republicans, and they have powerful grassroots networks.
Source: Ambito
