Biden Urges Striking Auto Workers to “Stick With It” in Picket Line Visit Unparalleled in History
President Joe Biden joined United Auto Workers strikers on a picket line Tuesday as their work stoppage against major carmakers hit day 12, a demonstration of support for organized labor unparalleled in presidential history.
“Stick with it,” he told them, exchanging fist bumps with grinning picketers as he walked along the line. “You deserve the significant raise you need,” Biden said through a bullhorn while wearing a union baseball cap after arriving at a General Motors parts distribution warehouse west of Detroit.
He encouraged them to continue fighting for a better contract and said “yes” when asked if UAW members deserved a 40% raise, one of the demands that the union has made.
“No deal, no wheels!” workers chanted as Biden arrived. “No pay, no parts!”
Labor historians say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman.