Staff Reports
Autoworkers in Michigan are growing frustrated with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for using their union strike as a political platform. The United Auto Workers union initiated the strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis last week, and workers are expressing their discontent with the top two presidential candidates joining them on the picket line.
UAW strikers sour on Biden and Trump following visit to the picket line: Report https://t.co/BlUcCfQ7kC
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 2, 2023
One autoworker, Jay Fuller, expressed his disappointment, saying, “I couldn’t take any time off for my daughters. A job that involved working with your hands used to be well-paying job.” Many workers feel that Biden and Trump are only using their appearance at the strike for political gain and don’t actually care about helping working-class individuals.
This sentiment was echoed by Brooke Patterson, another autoworker, who stated, “they’re just here for the politics.” Despite Biden’s reputation as a pro-union president, he has yet to win over the UAW. In the past, union endorsements were typically guaranteed for Democrats, but Biden and Trump are now competing for the union’s support.
Both candidates made visits to the picket line in anticipation of a potential rematch of the 2020 election. Michigan is seen as a crucial state for both candidates, and Biden narrowly won the state in 2020. However, autoworkers are skeptical of the candidates’ motives and question whether they will truly prioritize the needs of the working class.
