Biden Backstabs America’s Workers

Former President Trump criticized the Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) policy, asserting that President Biden’s “absurd all-electric car deception” is responsible for the ongoing United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against major automakers.

According to The Hill, in an early morning post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “President Biden sold out the UAW with his absurd all-electric car deception. In just three years, all these cars will be manufactured in China.“

Trump also added, “If the UAW leadership doesn’t endorse me and I don’t win the election, the autoworkers are in trouble, and the great truckers will face a similar fate.“

The UAW initiated its strike last week against the “Big Three” automakers, namely Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. The union’s demands include higher wages, shorter work weeks, union representation for battery plant workers, and improved retirement benefits, including restored pensions for new hires.

Republicans have attributed the strike to the Biden administration’s EV policy, asserting that efforts to promote electric vehicle production have relocated jobs from UAW strongholds in the Midwest and weakened the union.

Former Vice President Mike Pence also weighed in on the matter, saying, “I believe that this green agenda, which uses taxpayer funds to transition our automotive industry to EVs, understandably causes significant concerns among UAW members. They see the Green New Deal, disguised as the Inflation Reduction Act, driving their industry toward EVs, benefiting China, which produces most of our batteries.”

The UAW has expressed similar concerns, citing EV policy as the primary reason for not yet endorsing Biden’s re-election campaign. However, UAW President Shawn Fain made it clear that the union would not endorse Trump.

Fain has advocated for a “just transition” to EVs, emphasizing the importance of protecting union jobs in this process.

Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University, commented on the tension between the labor movement and environmental groups, stating, “The environmental group holds the upper hand in that alliance… The momentum behind the electrification of the vehicle fleet is nearly unstoppable within the Democratic Party.”

Despite growing efforts by the UAW and other worker advocates, the largest EV manufacturer in the country, Tesla, remains non-unionized. Additionally, many new EV manufacturing plants and facilities producing EV components are located in the South, where worker protections are comparatively weaker than in the Midwest.

President Biden has expressed support for the UAW strike, calling on automakers to enhance their offers and engage in negotiations with the union. He is scheduled to visit striking workers in Michigan later this week.

In a message posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter), Biden stated, “On Tuesday, I will travel to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of the UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. It’s time for a mutually beneficial agreement that sustains American auto manufacturing with well-compensated UAW jobs.”