President Biden made clear that he believes autoworkers deserve a share of automakers’ record profits and that autoworkers deserve a contract that keeps them in the middle class.
President Biden spoke about the United Auto Workers strike, saying:
I have been in contact with both parties since this started over the past few weeks. The past decade. Auto companies have posted record profits, including in recent years, thanks to the extraordinary skills and sacrifice of UAW workers. In my opinion, these record profits are not fairly distributed among these employees.
Just as the Treasury Department released the report highlighting that this is the most comprehensive report assessing how unions benefit employees and non-union workers. Unions raise workers’ wages, increase homeownership, increase retirement savings, access to crucial benefits like sick leave and childcare, and exploit inequality. All of this strengthens our economy for all workers. That’s because unions raise standards in the workplace and across entire industries. Raising wages and strengthening benefits for all. That’s why strong unions are critical to a growing economy. This is especially true as we transition to a clean energy future, which we are currently embarking on.
I believe this should be fair and a win-win situation for car workers and car companies. But I also believe the contract agreement should lead to a vibrant, Made in America future that promotes good, strong, middle-class jobs that allow workers to raise families. The UAW remains the core of our economy. And where the big three continue to lead the way in innovation, excellence, quality and leadership.
Last night, after negotiations collapsed, the UAW announced a targeted attack on a few Big Three auto plants. Let’s be clear. Nobody wants a strike. Say it again. Nobody wants a strike. But I respect the rights of employees to exercise their options. And I understand the workers’ frustrations. For generations they have made sacrifices to keep the energy alive. Especially because of the economic crisis and pandemic. Employees deserve a fair share of the benefits they create for a company.
I appreciate that the parties have worked around the clock. When I first called them on the first day of negotiations, I said please stay at the table as long as possible to try to resolve this. But I believe they must go further to ensure record profits generate record contracts for the UAW. It should be shared through record deals. We need employment contracts for the future. I hope the parties can return to the negotiating table to forge a win-win agreement.
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The difference between Biden and a Republican president is that Biden is willing to publicly support the union and sees unionization as essential to growing and preserving the middle class. President Biden will not demonize striking workers or make it more difficult for workers to negotiate good contracts, as Trump did when he was president.
Having a pro-worker president is a business.
President Biden was right. No one wants a strike, but it’s not too much to ask of companies making record profits to share some of these profits with their workers through the process of collective bargaining.