As the United States’ autoworkers prepare for a long-term strike living on meager stipends, the visits of both US President Joe Biden and his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in the past days have failed to bring meaningful progress to the negotiating table.
Organized labor has grown increasingly critical over the slow progress between automakers and the United Auto Workers (UAW). At the start of September, the union began negotiations with General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, and Ford in an attempt to lobby for higher wages and better job security.
President Biden, in an attempt to show his support for the union and sympathize with striking autoworkers, made his first in-person visit as President to a union plant on September 4th. The move was seen by many Democrats as a rare display of solidarity with the UAW, but to the dismay of autoworkers, the visit only seemed to serve photo ops and showdowns.
Similarly, soon after the President’s stopover, former President Donald Trump paid his respects to the autoworkers on the same day, which was also met with much of the same indifference. While Mr. Trump did express his deep admiration for the workers involved, many union members noted how his presence seemed more focused on garnering support than actually offering aid.
The strike is now into its fourth week, with workers living off of strike pay suspended by the UAW. It’s not clear that either President Biden or Mr. Trump made any substantive progress to help move things along, and UAW leaders worry the dispute could go on even longer.
For now, the autoworkers continue to toil on, hoping for a better future. With the lack of progress in the negotiations, they are only left with hope that either the union or automakers will make further concessions soon. Otherwise, the future of this strike remains unclear.
“Autoworkers Ready Strike as Biden, Trump Visits Falter
