President Joe Biden expressed his support for the demands of the United Auto Workers union, which began a limited strike against the Big Three U.S. carmakers on Friday.
“Auto companies have seen record profits, including in the last few years, because of the extraordinary skill and sacrifices of the UAW workers,” Biden said in televised remarks from the White House on Friday afternoon. “Those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers.”
At the start of contract talks between the UAW and management at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, Biden spoke to both sides and encouraged them to stay at the negotiating table until they reach an agreement, he said. But now that the two sides have arrived at an impasse, Biden said he understands why the union decided to strike.
The parties have been bargaining “around the clock, and the companies have made some significant offers,” Biden said. “But I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW.”
“Strong unions are critical for growing the economy and growing it from the middle out, the bottom up, and not the top down,” he added. “That’s especially true as we transition to a clean energy future, which we are in the process of doing.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.