Lines Are Drawn Over Striking Auto Workers
Democrats back the union while right-wingers make excuses
Democrats are strongly backing the United Auto Workers (UAW) which on Friday began a large-scale strike against three big US automotive manufacturers.
On the other side, those on the political right fell into excuse-making and hand-waving in defense of the corporations and their CEOs.
The union said it was walking out for the first time since 2019 amid negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler's maker, Stellantis.
Union members walked out at three plants: a GM site in Wentzville, Missouri; a Stellantis center in Toledo, Ohio; and a Ford assembly location in Wayne, Michigan. The strike could expand to additional locations.
The two sides remained far apart on major issues including salary increases and benefits.
“Let's talk about what good faith is. They've had our economic demands for six weeks. We have told them from Day One, we expect to bargain now, not wait till the end. They waited till last week. We had to file unfair labor practices charges on two companies to get them to come to the table,” said Shawn Fain, UAW president. “So they waited till the last week to want to get down to business. Shame on them, and what they are saying is complete B.S.”
While urging both sides come to a satisfactory deal, President Biden made it plain Friday that striking workers deserve a contract that gives them a fair and ample share in the automakers’ success.
“Well, President Biden, in my mind, no question that he is the most pro-union labor president we have had. And we are right now in a fight, and he is leading that, to restore the middle class of our country,” said Democratic Sen Debbie Stabenow, who represents much of the auto industry in her state of Michigan. “So it’s a process. It’s not there yet. I understand the workers’ frustrations, but we are turning things around to bring jobs home right now with the chip plants and rebuild America and be laser-focused on the middle class. This is something in process. We need to keep our workers, strengthening the middle class as the focus, and I know that that’s what the president is doing.”
Industry executives are doing too much to enrich themselves and their corporations and not enough for their employees, according to Rep Ro Khanna (D-Calif).
“That’s a problem, that a lot of this money is ending up in places where workers are not represented and you have CEOs in some cases, as you know, making $30 million, 365 times that of the median employee,” Khanna said. “These companies have engaged in $5 billion of stock buybacks in the last year, which is enriching their shareholders.
“Whatever else you think of stock buybacks, it's giving money to shareholders in a form of dividend payments basically, and workers are not participating,” he added. “Now, I believe that’s work regardless of government investment, but when you and I are paying for the industry and subsidizing it billions of dollars, we should make sure ordinary workers are getting their fair wages.”
Meanwhile, prominent figures on the right are trying to dismiss the workers’ demands and attempting to blame support they're seeing on politics.
“Well, where it is heading is we have an election year coming up and UAW figures this is the time to maximize maximum pressure,” said Steve Forbes, media mogul and one-time Republican presidential hopeful. “They have not formally yet endorsed President Biden but this kind of labor strike we're going to see more and more in the rest of the country because of the inflation of the last 2.5 to 3 years, 20 percent.
“Anytime you get those kind of price rises, there is pressure for strikes and catch-up pay. So that’s what you are going to see here. But also, the president weighed in today precisely because he needs their endorsement and the union figure they’re going to get a much better settlement with him coming off the fence like he did today,” he added.
Forbes did not directly address any of the union's concerns and took political swipes at Biden.
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