President Joe Biden on Tuesday (27/9) became the first US president to join a labor strike. He stood alongside automotive workers in Michigan as they demanded a 40 percent pay increase and a 32-hour workweek.
Union, the term President Joe Biden often uses for labor unions, has built America. He became the first US president to join striking workers on the outskirts of Detroit in a two-week-long protest. They are demanding pay raises, shorter working hours, and other changes from three major US automakers.
Biden was careful not to specify which terms he specifically supported, only stating that he supported workers’ rights.
“My friends, hang in there, because you deserve a meaningful pay increase and other benefits. Let’s get back what’s been lost… We are moving forward for them. Now it’s time for them to sacrifice for us,” Biden said.
The president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), which supported Biden’s candidacy in 2020 but has not yet endorsed him for 2024, expressed gratitude to Biden.
UAW President Shawn Fain said, “Thank you, Mr. President, for coming to defend us at this crucial moment for our generation. Thank you for being part of this struggle.”
The labor union claims to have over 400,000 members. Many point to sharp increases in corporate profits and CEO salaries, but worker wage increases have been much smaller.
At last week’s demonstration, a worker stated that this strike is about more than demanding a better contract. It is also about Americans’ attitudes and beliefs regarding jobs and company benefits.
UAW member Yolanda Downs said, “I want a greater balance. I want everyone to be able to live well and fairly. If I work on one side of the car assembly and I earn $30 while someone across from me only makes $15 per hour, is that fair?”
The largest automaker among the Big Three, General Motors, avoided direct comment on Biden’s appearance but issued a statement, saying, “Our focus is not on politics but on continuing to negotiate in good faith with UAW leadership to reach an agreement as soon as possible.”
Susan Kang, a political science professor at John Jay College, said that Biden’s decision to support the workers is significant. However, can Biden balance the negotiations?
“Perhaps not, because there are many things that happen when negotiating specifics. But he can shift political support. We have already seen a lot of public support for this strike. I think it will strengthen the position of the striking workers even more,” she added.
Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump plans to participate in a rally at a non-unionized plant near Detroit on Wednesday and will not participate in the second Republican presidential primary debate on the same day. In a statement, Trump criticized Biden’s visit to Detroit and called it a “public relations stunt.”
Kang said many older politicians may not realize there is a broader movement among millennial workers. Additionally, in American society, there is a significant wave demanding changes to economic and social inequality.
However, Biden and Trump know that the approaches they take will have their own effects.
Here, the top two officials in the United States, one former and one current, say that there must be changes in the American labor sector.
