Biden to Visit Michigan to Support Auto Strike, a Day Before Trump

Shafaq News/ U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to show support for the United Auto Workers strike against Detroit automakers, putting him at the center of the dispute that has pitted his labor allies against major manufacturers.

Biden, a Democrat, sees himself as a pro-union president, and his visit to the state, a day before former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be there, will underscore his support for union workers' right to take action and engage in collective bargaining.

A Trump campaign spokesperson said Biden's trip to Michigan was "a cheap photo op."

Numerous unions have already endorsed Biden's re-election, but the UAW has for now withheld its endorsement. Biden said the automakers should "go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW," echoing sentiments by union leaders.

The Detroit Three and the UAW have much at stake from federal policy decisions. The automakers are counting on Washington for billions in subsidies for electric vehicle production. They are negotiating with the Biden administration over future emissions rules requiring a shift to EVs that the industry believes would be too fast and expensive.

The union, meanwhile, is concerned that the transition to EVs will mean a loss of jobs as those vehicles require fewer parts in production.

Trump plans to travel to Detroit to speak at a rally advertised for auto workers as he tries to win back some blue-collar voters who defected to Biden in his victory in 2020. Trump has called for rank-and-file union workers to ignore their leaders.

Trump has not said if he will visit the picket lines. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain blasted Trump earlier in the week, saying the union was "fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers."

Ahead of the precedent-shattering meeting, Roosevelt, like Biden, found himself with little leverage to negotiate.

Workers on the picket lines had mixed feelings over whether Biden should visit. Some said politicians should stay out of the fray, while others said they would welcome the support if the strike continued.