"You deserve a significant wage increase and other benefits. Let's reclaim what was lost."
President Joe Biden became the first sitting U.S. president to join a strike protest. On the afternoon of the 26th (local time), President Biden attended the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike site at the General Motors (GM) service parts plant in Michigan and expressed his support, urging, "Don't give up, stick with it."
Wearing a black baseball cap emblazoned with the UAW logo, President Biden stood on the picket line with striking union members and held a megaphone. He said, "The fact is, you, the UAW, saved the auto industry in 2008 and before," adding, "You made many sacrifices and gave up a lot. The company was in trouble back then." He continued, "Now the Big Three are doing incredibly well, and so are you," raising his voice to say, "You deserve a significant wage increase and other benefits." Emphasizing the workers' sacrifices during the company's past management difficulties, he supported demands such as wage increases by saying, "Let's get back what was lost."
This visit to the strike site was made possible after UAW President Shawn Fain, who is leading the strike against the three major U.S. automakers Ford, GM, and Stellantis, publicly invited President Biden, who has portrayed himself as a 'pro-union president.' Fain greeted President Biden at Detroit Airport, and they rode together in a private limousine to the site. Fain expressed gratitude, saying, "Our president has decided to stand with workers in the fight for economic and social justice," calling it a "historic day, a historic moment." President Biden emphasized, "Wall Street did not build this country," adding, "The middle class built this country. Labor unions built the middle class."
Local media, including The New York Times (NYT), poured out evaluations calling President Biden's visit to the strike site, which was practically participation in the protest, "brief but symbolic." When asked about a 40% wage increase, President Biden answered "Yes," and while walking the picket line, he bumped fists and shook hands with striking workers. When Fain praised President Biden as "the first sitting president to stand with workers," Biden showed solidarity by placing his hand on the shoulder of a nearby striking worker. The NYT reported it as "an unprecedented scene of a sitting president at the forefront of a major labor dispute." Eric Loomis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, called it "an unprecedented event."
Notably, President Biden's move drew attention as it came a day before former President Donald Trump's planned visit on the 27th. Analysts suggest that Biden could not help but be more conscious of pro-union voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A recent Washington Post (WP)-ABC News poll showed Biden trailing Trump by 9 percentage points in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup.
CNN reported this as "overt support for striking workers," describing it as "asserting a political identity as an advocate for the working class." Michigan, the site of the visit, is considered one of the battleground states. Biden narrowly won Michigan in the 2020 election, while Trump led there in 2016.
However, the White House reiterated its basic stance that the president does not intervene in negotiations between automakers and unions despite Biden's visit to the strike site. USA Today pointed out, "President Biden has said he wants to be known as the most pro-union president in U.S. history," but noted, "Because a prolonged strike could have national economic repercussions, this visit carries political risks." The UAW has expanded the strike to GM and Stellantis, excluding Ford, citing difficulties in negotiations.
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