President Joe Biden Makes History by Joining UAW Picket Line in Show of Solidarity

President Joe Biden made history on Tuesday when he became the first sitting president to join a picket line. Biden visited striking United Auto Workers members outside a General Motors parts distribution center in Belleville, Michigan, in a show of solidarity.

UAW President Shawn Fain, who accompanied Biden on the visit, thanked the president for his support and expressed his disappointment in former President Donald Trump. Fain said that during the recession in 2008, Trump blamed UAW members and their contracts “for everything that was wrong with these companies,” and he accused Trump of being nonresponsive during a previous major strike.

Fain also made clear that he does not plan to meet with Trump when the former president visits a manufacturing plant in Michigan on Wednesday. He encouraged the striking workers to “stick with it, because you deserve the significant raise you need and other benefits.”

Biden spoke to the workers through a megaphone, telling them that he was “proud to stand with you” and that he was “here to support you.” He also said that he was “fighting to make sure you get the fair wages and benefits you deserve.”

The visit from President Biden is a major show of support for the striking workers and a sign that the Biden administration is committed to protecting the rights of workers. It is also a stark contrast to the Trump administration’s lack of support for unions and workers’ rights.