The United Auto Workers strike expanded on Friday, with union workers walking out of dozens of additional parts-distribution centers across the nation amid sluggish negotiations with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, Detroit's "Big Three" automakers. Now, a big-name boost is heading to the picket line next week: President Biden, who announced Friday that he'll be traveling to Michigan on Tuesday in support of workers. In an online post, Biden noted that his visit is meant to "stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create."
Biden, who has called himself "the most pro-union president in American history," added, "It's time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs." Per ABC News, Biden's announcement came just hours after UAW President Shawn Fain had appealed to the commander in chief, noting, "From our friends and families all the way up to the president of the United States, we invite you to join us in our fight." Biden's trip to Michigan will also come just a day before former President Donald Trump, the current front-runner for the GOP nomination, is set to touch down in the Great Lakes State and speak to autoworkers, instead of appearing in the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday.
"Unlike Biden, however, Trump will not be there to support the entire strike effort," notes NBC News. "Instead, he aims to drive a wedge between striking UAW workers and union leaders like Fain." "The autoworkers are being sold down the river by their leadership," Trump said in an NBC interview last weekend. "Their leadership should endorse Trump." Fain, for his part, has pushed back at Trump's narrative. "Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers," the UAW chief said after Trump announced his visit. (More UAW strike stories.)
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