A General Motors worker from the automaker’s Lake Orion Assembly plant in Michigan will speak at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.
According to The Detroit News, UAW member and Lake Orion worker Gerald Lang will speak at the Democratic National Convention and show the union’s support for presidential nominee Joe Biden.
“Gerald is a proud United Auto Worker (UAW) and team leader at a General Motors assembly plant in Lake Orion, Michigan,” the UAW said in a statement. “Increasingly, Gerald and his team are building clean, electric vehicles, including the Chevy Electric Bolt. The auto industry has been through a lot in recent years, and Gerald wants a president who will fight for workers like him, so that American workers build American cars in America. That’s why Gerald supports those who support America’s workers, like Joe Biden.”
Biden previously pledged to help create over one million new automotive manufacturing, supply chain and infrastructure jobs in the United States if elected. His campaign also recently took aim at the Trump Administration’s efforts to boost the U.S. automotive manufacturing sector, with Biden’s Michigan state director, Eric Hyers, saying the nominee will put the state’s auto workers first.
“Michiganders are fed up with Donald Trump’s failed policies that have put the wealthy and well-connected first and Michigan’s workers last, and they’re ready for a president who tells them the truth, has their backs and knows what it will take to build our economy back better than it was before and create good-paying manufacturing jobs,” Hyers said. “That’s Joe Biden — and that’s a message we’re going to take directly to voters across Michigan.”
Chris Gustafson, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign in Michigan, has previously dragged the Biden camp over the former vice president’s policies and how they can affect the auto industry.
“President Trump continues to fight for Michiganders with new trade deals like the USMCA and replace Joe Biden’s disastrous NAFTA that destroyed over 43,000 Michigan jobs,” Gustafson said.
Other speakers planned for the Democratic National Convention include a farmer from Pennsylvania, a doctor from Nevada and a public transit bus driver from Atlanta. The convention is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 17th and will end on Wednesday, August 20th.
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Comments
While I understand the UAW was historically a stronghold for the Democratic party, Trump has done more for the unions than any other president has ever done. Trump may have run as a Republican but he’s every bit as much an Old Democrat on many issues as well and this is one of them.
Regardless, I hate to see GM tied to this even if it’s just an employee. The whole Government Motors thing still hasn’t faded in the mid west. They’re going to get dragged into the heated political spotlight again by default and tied back into the Biden/Obama years of the past. For 1/2 the country, that’s not a good thing. And a large part of the other 1/2 isn’t interested in driving Chevy’s anyway. The era of GM and politics needs to end permanently.
Unions, Police or UAW are democrat ran and controlled and vote for them. Just like many cities that are corrupt and full of Democrat people who claim to help, but after elections do nothing.
I don’t think most UAW members vote democrat. I also don’t think Unions who basically steal money from members should be allowed to use your money for a political party.
Union money should be banned from being used in political ANYTHING, if every member in the union does not agree to it in a secret ballot.
Unions have long served their purpose and should be abolished. Auto unions of today cripple car companies.
The USA has too much overhead. The federal government grows wider with each passing year like the waste size of the average american broad. Americans are too accustomed these days to having many layers. We need to get rid of many things so we can operate more efficiently.
Unions steal money from people and in some places one is automatically signed up for the union. My mom is a teacher and has no choice but to pay into it.
Dblezy, Agreed. On your mom’s teachers union – too bad she is not in wisconsin. When they changed that law , forcing teachers to pay into the union, 82% of them dropped out. Unions used to represent the worker from corporate management but now the unions are simply a funnel of cash for the DNC from the workers. Sad, unions used to represent the very best and now they only want to do the minimum, least common denominator, and schill for the DNC for their handouts.
In before the comments go to hell. Yes!
I’ll just say this; looking at this as objectively as possible, I can see why the DNC is making this move. The Democrats have long prided themselves in being the party of the American worker, and they desperately need blue-collar workers to vote for Joe this election cycle. The move makes sense.
BUT, I wonder if it’s already too late. Again, not trying to take sides here, but Donald Trump is ridiculously popular among blue-collar voters, he is today like he was in 2016. I’ve spoken to a good amount of them, and they love the guy. the GOP, prior to Trump, was always the party of business, not labor; but Trump, to my knowledge, made a huge play to appeal to the working class that people like, say, Mitt Romney never did. He fused working man populism and limited government to get both business owners and workers in his camp, in a sense.
From my standpoint, it seems like the real union support for the Democratic Party today lies mostly in the union bosses and higher-ups, and less with the workers. This could change with Joe Biden running this time instead of Hillary Clinton, but I don’t know. I think the reason here is that, generally speaking, these workers don’t subscribe to a lot of the focus of the modern Democratic Party, with issues like social justice, identity issues like race and gender, increased immigration, a newfound dislike of tariffs, etc. But at the same time, these workers also are weary of traditional GOP policies that focus on enriching big companies at their expense. I think that’s why they like Trump, because he pulls the traditional GOP card of trying to ease restrictions and taxes on the economy, all while touting going to bat for American workers by engaging actors abroad like China, who hurt our job market. Whether this is true or not, I’m not concerned with. He’s the perfect storm, so to speak. I’m not endorsing him, just explaining what I think is going on.
LONG-winded way of me saying that I don’t think this move by the DNC will be of much help. The blue-collar voter isn’t their base anymore, nor is it the GOP base – it’s the Trump base.
It is quite simple mate! The democratic party appeals to more effeminate males, women, and foreigners in general. The typical male who is a blue-collar is not cotton soft. So of course this man will gravitate towards people who have a little strength. Besides the democratic party in recent years is the enemy for many blue-collar jobs and business owners of these companies. Don’t get me wrong I think the republican party has no backbone either and I truly do not know what they stand for in 2020.
The modern Dem party panders hard to the biggest voting block (females). The USA is so feminized it is not recognizable anymore. Donald Trump is no Putin but, for a western man in the USA he can be considered masculine. Men will always prefer to be lead by this type of man. So what is a strong american Man to do? Vote for the best path and Donald Trump gave most men some hope. Also when a party says they are going to end a certain type of job it does not help their case.
Personally I think both parties are trash and do not serve the american people. Both parties need to remove their tight grips on states and elections so that other guys can be voted in based off of merit and character. Party affiliation needs to go away as soon as possible.
G8, I myself am a blue collar worker in the construction industry. Since the moment Trump was elected, the building industry was going nuts! There was a point in time where our company had to start turing work away! A family friend of ours employs about 32 guys and he was so behind on work, he kept all of his guys working through the pandemic just to get caught up.
Look at all the manu. jobs that have returned under Trump. Carrier AC, Milwaukee tool, Craftsman tool, Harley Davidson, Toyota, Tesla, Hubbell lighting….not to mention, the corporate tax cuts where a lot of large companies gave workers a bonus. I’m sure they were happy with that extra money.
I’m a Uaw worker at 2209 Fort Wayne assembly and since Joe Biden has promised to end the internal combustion engine which would eliminate my job and the jobs of thousands of UAW workers, I’ll be voting for Trump and every Republican running. An electric car or truck needs thousands of less part and people. No Toledo transmission, no Foundries and no engine plants. No thanks I’d prefer to feed my family without welfare
All you need to know about Bejing Biden and now harris is that we would get the obama years on steriods which means huge job losses, stagnate pay, reduction of income, and continued loss of status in the world. Just look at the steel and aluminum companies in this country now because of trump. Biden doesnt even know what day it is. He is just a puppet and a schill for the chinese. NO THANKS! I dont want marxism in this country and that is what the DNC stands for now.
The Democrats have pledged to end the internal combustion engine, fracking, oil consumption, etc., etc., etc.. As the son of a retired Union Steel Worker, I can safely say that the policies created by the Democrats will put thousands and thousands of these people out of work. When you pledge to end people’s jobs, you’re going to lose their vote. The Unions no longer back the Democrats as they once did. I know firsthand that Trump has actually done more for the factory workers, steel workers, iron workers, laborers, etc., than any other President in the last several decades. The aforementioned jobs are booming again and he now has their vote. Times have changed when dealing with many Unions and their loyalty.
@Infamous
You and Randy are backing up my comment. I think the DNC is concerned that they’re losing voters like you guys, and I think you would agree with this. I’m also not sure that tapping Senator Harris as VP will help, either.
It’s hard to advocate such a massive push forward in manufacturing (by eliminating formerly large and prosperous industries) and expect those workers to vote for you. The Democratic Party would be better served focusing on the economy and jobs, as Bill Clinton did in the 90’s…at least if they want the blue-collar vote.
Since the Democratic Party has taken a radical turn they have left many of the traditional blue collar workers behind.
You can’t go for the green agenda and keep industry. You can’t support looters and keep the police union etc.
Right now the a Democratic Party is more about dismantling America than being for workers.
They are now for a strict Socialist agenda that really takes away any opportunity or a path to better your life unless you are a party leader.
in response to C8.R, no planet = no jobs. We have to take care of us! Yes, this means coal is dead and perhaps the ICE but that creates opportunities. Hillary spoke the truth in WV about coal and people did not want to consider retraining and guess what? Coal is still dead and WV is poor and polluted.
Times change, now faster than before. Find new ways to learn something new (you can still manufacture EVs) , because if you don’t the world will leave you behind.
We have to progress to survive!
Gary, You have no idea what your taking about other than your global marxism green new deal BS. Funny how every storm is a climate change event but when there was no hurricanes for 10 years it was irrelevant. The weather people cannot predict what the weather will be accurately tomorrow, EVERY prediction has been wrong by the eco freaks, yet you want to tell everyone what to do. The US is the ONLY country that qualified under the kyoto (BS) treaty because of fracking and natural gas. IF you want to start someplace and shut down their economy, start with China who is building a new coal fired plant every month. Joe and bejing biden can go talk to the chicoms and get them going in the right direction. Stop telling people what to do based on ZERO scientific evidence that what we do has affected anything. Hint, they just discovered the Med was 5-6 degrees WARMER in the roman times??? So much for climate change scare tactics.
I don’t understand why we can’t have a discussion with one side labeling the other with terms like Marxism or freaks. I simply stated we have to take care of our planet, not destroy it. After more than a century of the ICE, we are witnessing signs – like my vacation to Door County WI where all of the beaches are gone because the water has risen 5 + feet in the last few years. The planet is changing dramatically whether you believe it or not.
Ford and Edison were horrified by what was happening around 1912-14 and were working to replace the ICE with electric products. Unfortunately WWI hit and because the technology was not ready everyone embraced the ICE technology. Then oil companies became powerful and lobbied against alternatives. But we can still get their with great American ingenuity. If we don’t, then we cede leadership to other countries that are already doing it. Look forward to be better.
We can embrace healthy economies that are friendly to people and the planet, and the opportunity to thrive as well. GM has to change with the times or the next bankruptcy could be their final nail in the coffin. Oil is pretty much gone in the 2040s anyway and many of us care about the next generations.
Gary you have much to say. Let me know when you can control a volcano, an earthquake, a hurricane, a tornado, the historical rise and fall of earth’s temperature cycles, etc. By the way you mentioned you were vacationing in Door County, WI. How many people were arround that area when the glaciers receded forming the kettle moraine area? Do you think people could have controlled that event?
You do know that volcanos emit more C02 than us humans can dream of? Also how do you explain the cycle of the earth getting warmer and colder. Did you know that the Thames river used to freeze every winter centuries ago? Or that when it was the black plague in Europe the earth was cooler with longer winters. So crop failure was a common thing.
No one disputes that we have to take care of our planet. However these so called green solutions do not solve the problem. You want to know why? They still require digging up the earth for its resources just to build electronics and batteries in your future ideal world. All to fill the worlds over consumption. We need to learn how to curtail our consumption to preserve the planet and get better at recycling everything we produce.
GET RID OF THE UAW VOTE REPUBLICAN WE CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE CREEPY JOE AS PRESIDENT HE WOULD DESTROY THE COUNTRY!!!! JOE BIDEN IS A RAPIST AND A PERVERT AND A PEDOPHILE
During my Navy duty from 75 to 79, I was part of the boat refugee out of Saigon. I got out and started working at the RR and was working with refugees… The union didn’t care since the gov’t was paying 30% of their wages while the RR picked up 70% while the union picked up new dues. They didn’t care as long as they got the dues. Same for Biden. He gives them a way to collect they will vote for him. My dad retired from the steel industry/union right before the big layoffs and shutdowns in 80s. They were told new industries would need steel products and more jobs. He said they heard that before right when Japen started importing steel. 30 yrs later, new green deal and Beijing Biden dropping his shorts. I do believe industry must change with the times in order to stay alive. With change comes retooling of machines and computers taking human jobs. Ah, there is no substantial evidence of any climate change.
The UAW has always tried to make it’s workers vote for a Democrat. Maybe that was okay many years ago, but the Dems today are far left liberals. I’m sure most of the UAW members will not vote for Biden. We don’t want our country run by power hungry liberals that could make us like Guatemala!