Automakers Must Offer Record Contracts For UAW Members, Says President Biden
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President Biden recently issued a statement addressing the current contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union and the Big Three Detroit automakers, voicing support for union members now engaged in targeted strikes at GM, Ford, and Stellantis. President Biden echoed statements made by UAW President Shawn Fain in stating that record profits generated by the Big Three automakers should result in record contracts for union members. Although this is not the first time President Biden has weighed in on the UAW negotiations, it is the first time he has openly supported the union striking.
“Over the past decade, auto companies have seen record profits, including the last few years, because of the extraordinary skill and sacrifices of the UAW workers. But those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers,” President Biden said Friday afternoon.
“No one wants a strike. But I respect workers’ right to use their options under the collective bargaining system,” he added.
President Biden said that he was dispatching Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House Senior Advisor Gene Sperling to Detroit in order help the UAW and Big Three automakers reach an equitable deal.
The UAW began targeted strikes at specific production facilities following the expiration of the previous labor contracts Thursday night. So far, UAW members have staged walkouts at the GM Wentzville plant in Missouri, Ford’s Wayne Assembly Plant in Michigan, and the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio.
“From job security to ending tiers, from cost-of-living allowance to wage increases, we do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifice and contributions our members have made to these companies,” said UAW President Fain on Thursday. “To win, we’re likely going to have to take action.”
The UAW has yet to endorse Biden for re-election, arguing that the Inflation Reduction Act does not provide adequate protection for unions in the industry-wide transition to all-electric vehicles. Biden faced criticism from union leaders late last year after signing a bill that blocked a strike by U.S. rail workers.
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The obvious question is, “who told him to say that?”. Or rather, who writes the cue cards…
If he says anything else, he might lose the vote of his union buddies. We’ll see what he says after this strike for unreasonable benefits drags on for 3-4 months.
Back when Brandon was a UAW member…………
Carl – of course. After all his Grandfather was William Durant. Also I do believe he was on the Corvette design team under Duntov.
Yes, that was right after he helped finish the production run of GMC CCKW’s for Patton’s 3rd Army in WWII. In fact, I believe he actually delivered the last truck himself. Drove it all the way to France and parked it in Patton’s headquarters driveway.!
Who cares what the old douche says
Why is it that every time I like an anti biden post it disappears? Lets go Brandon !
maybe because the editor just might be leaning in that direction, just saying. Freedom of speech has been eliminated. Next will be the 2nd Amendment.
They won’t post my comment, the liberal agenda will squish it.
Maybe because of record inflation the past 2 1/2 years thanks to Biden’s over spending, maybe these workers could live within their means. I do agree that the management should share the wealth. But darker days are ahead with all the unsold EV’s that will be sitting on the car lots.
They already have profit sharing but everyone forgets to mention it.
Yea, they got $200 to $400 profit sharing bonuses (and some years ZERO) for over 20 years while the corporations made Billions. Then the UAW renegotiated that formula within the last 2 contracts. Why is it nobody ever mentions this when complaining about the current bonuses workers have received in the last 8 years?
The GM-negotiated formula with the UAW for profit-sharing checks is $1,000 per every $1 billion in annual earnings before interest and taxes, or pretax profits for North America. For 2022, GM’s North America pretax profits were $12.9 billion, up from $10.3 billion a year ago. So, each UAW member received a $12,750 bonus in 2023 from 2022 profits. Increments are always in $250’s and profit sharing has been around since at least 1986. Just looking at the past 10 years, you will see that each UAW worker accrued $101,250 in profit sharing: 2013/$6750 2014/$9000 2015/$11000 2016/$12000 2017/$11750 2018/$10750 2019/$8000 2020/$9000 2021/$10250 2022/$12750. Yes, there were some bad years (most of the 90’s and 2007-2009) where they didn’t receive much profit sharing, but they have received a record windfall over the last 10+ years. I like the profit sharing model a lot and am glad they’ve averaged a ~10k bonus annually for more than a decade, but I think it is disingenuous of Fain to whine about ‘record’ profits from these evil companies knowing d@mn well his UAW members have been reaping record profit sharing.
Just something to ponder. A co. hires people to make the Co. money, not to make the employees money. If you don’t like what you are making quit and go somewhere else to work.
That’s the way a free market would work. A union is a cartel meant to usurp the free market.
Maybe the military should strike for record-breaking contracts? They at least have weapons to back it up. It’d be fun to watch our bureaucracy $#%! a brick.
Actually, a coup d’état is sounding better by the day…
The big guy is the most toothpaste MFRI have ever seen First he nearly closes the damper on the oil industry. Then he sniffs nibbles and fondles Mary and tells her you’re gonna make electric cars. Go ahead Union members I dare you to kiss up to the big guy. He is your good friend till the end.
If they want to share in the rewards they need to share in the risk. Become shareholders…Buy stock.
That’s the first sensible comment on this page!
All this is going to do is make cars more expensive, hlgher cost to repair higher and more robots with fewer workers. The factory workers and all labor will never make what the owners make. Companies have to keep profits to maintain the buildings and all the equipment needed for the jobs.
Another part that isn’t being mentioned is how much of those profits are being reinvested in buildouts for EV production, batteries, battery plants, charging partnerships so that the EVs are viable. Our government mandates, by order or through cash incentives (or penalties), requirements for the auto industry. All of these mandates have a huge cost. Is it any wonder that vehicle costs have EXPLODED in the last decade? The government, through mandates and encouragement of a near 50% wage and benefit increase, is just going to push those costs higher. Investors are owed a profit because they are risking their $$. These workers trade hours of labor for pay. They are owed nothing besides a wage, which is already above the national average and comes with significantly better benefits than the majority of the nation enjoys. Hey labor unions, QYB.
Ironic that the hypocritical Debbie “Dingbat” Dingel, the Pig Rashida Tlaib and the other Democratic trash from the Michigan congressional delegation were quick to “support” the workers on the picket line when hours earlier they voted against eliminating the provision that allows California to mandate emissions for the rest of the country- mandates that both the company and union are against because they cost jobs and money. I think that Fain needs to reevaluate who the real “enemies” are in this case- the idiots in Washington.
No, the real “enemies” are the pea brained conservatives like you that listen to nothing but Fox News and actually think you have a valid opinion.
Ok troll
Joe has been WRONG in everything he has said in his 50 years of fleecing the public.
Nevermind that, libbies had to ‘get rid of’ the orange guy because of his mean tweets and his brash honesty about undeniable government corruption.
But hey, the guy with the “D” next to his name is automatically awesome to that crowd. It doesn’t matter how lousy a person he actually is. They’d much rather have yet another lying, corrupt, lifelong politician instead of an outsider to challenge the status quo.
The union may tell it’s workers to support Biden, but you and I know they won’t. The days are gone when the leadership of a union can sway workers to vote for who they endorse. I’ve seen it in local unions here. Biden is responsible for the erosion of the buying power members got from the last contract. Hope Biden sees some jail time, maybe share a cell with Hunter.
The union guys I know support Trump.
The Democrats lost a huge block of UAW members in the 2020 election, and sentiments have only gotten worse since the geriatric puppet took office.
Yet their money does go to support biden. Course the UAW isnt by far the most corrupt union out there. Thats the teachers union.
Maybe all these record profits and big bonuses need to be looked at and brought back into check. Share the wealh with all of America and get some price cuts so we can all afford to survive. I see the price of malibus jumping to 100k because lets face it, the CEO’s are not going to take a cut and neither are the stock holders. But once everything is priced high and nothing is selling here come the layoffs…… The government as a whole is a joke in what they are worried about. How about getting agendas people need and not just what you are after!
There is no such thing as a $100K Malibu. When are you going to wake up, you Russian Troll?
Maybe hes at Mecum looking at classics? Gotta drop those biden bucks on something
Just covering his own tracks due to the horrible economy… I stand with automakers because Biden created this mess with going green and forcing makers to switch gears. Then the crap economy. Did I mention 6.99 percent finance rate for new cars??
You really are a fool. The economy has never been better since the 90s. You had better go back to college and retake Econ 101, or maybe you never went to college in the first place.
Yeah, my visible-in-person $200 cart of groceries which used to cost me $120 is the sign of a ‘good economy’. Good grief, CNN and MSNBC have you wrapped around their fingers.
And you used to be able to buy a house for $25K. Wake up. This is the way the world works. Or perhaps you prefer Communism. If so, get out and go back to Russia.
We are on the road to communism with Biden at the helm.
Get real! That is the aim of Putin and his buddy Trump.
Is your real name Congressman schiff. Can you give us a link to your evidence or the p tape yet?
No.
You must have attended the college of Bidenomics. You don’t need a college education to understand the state of the economy. Gas is now at $5 a gallon and going up, groceries are at an all-time high, interest rates are at 6.5% and climbing. People live paycheck to paycheck, credit card debt is at its highest level in history, etc. and there is no end in sight. This all started when Biden implemented his policies to stop fossil fuels. When oil and gas prices rise, so does everything else. The bottom line is that every consumer with common sense knows the economy is in the toilet. It’s evident you do not have any common sense.
You just proved that you understand nothing.
@ACZ people going back to work after the scamdemic did not allow them to, does not count as “jobs created”. But of course the govt. counts those as created jobs. And you believe all of it. You must still be wet behind the ears and need to get glasses to see thru all the smoke and mirrors.
Sorry, I wish I could help you but your stupidity is not my fault. Go back to school and get an education.
You are looking through your liberal colored glasses. High interest rates, record credit card balances, most families living paycheck to paycheck ever and on and on.
Record credit card spending is called people living above their means. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.
A lot of people are forced to spend it on everyday living. I think few people in this economy are using it to live above their means.
This is more wondering out loud than anything, but I am curious if the additional credit card spending is simply people wanting to buy a whole lot more junk or if they are having to use credit cards to pay for food, gas, electricity, etc. that has doubled in cost. Maybe it is simply being irresponsible. Maybe it is because our economy has been inordinately rough on low to middle income people because basic living expenses have doubled. Just some thoughts.
Must be written by Brandon with another of the aliases he has been using. Nobody else could be so illiterate to make such posts. Fess up Joe to these comments!
Exactly , most here are so oblivious to economics 101 . Let’s not ask forget that usa 🇺🇸 owes how much debt to china ,I’d say more than 860 billion and have also defaulted on some payments . So let’s skip the Democrat and republican nonsense , just saying . People are living about their means , credit is easy , let’s not forget that there’s probably going to be a few more banks that got by the way side shortly also .
Let’s not! There has been no default yet, and if it happens it will be solely the fault of MAGA republicans.
There is enough blame to spread around on both sides. Our country has a massive spending problem that will culminate, at some point, in a default. Right now, collectively, we are borrowing money so that we can borrow more money. It is a pyramid scheme. Everyone will be blaming someone, but it will have been everyone’s fault. If a household ran their budget the way the government does, they would have filed bankruptcy a while back.
A few years back, a number of prominent Democrats were proudly proclaiming that government spending is limitless without any consequences.
Turns out they were full of crap, but in their world, buying votes matters more than any ‘piddly’ costs ‘which the public can afford’.
Truth is, Democrats have always been this way. Buying votes despite any later consequence is their fentanyl.
@morrisangelo Tax and Spend. It is what Democrats do. And oh, they give out free stuff to buy your vote as well.
What? A bottle of water while you’re standing in line to vote. You can’t do that anymore because of idiots like you.
Bring your own damned water. How hard is that?
Unfortunately, all it takes is a free bottle of water for some Democrat to reign them in.
I don’t think water bottles are what he was referencing. Neither side will pass legislation that is good for the country without pork for their state or district, which is how our government (and its spending) got so off mission to begin with.
Paul Krugman assures us that things are going well — if you omit food, energy, housing, and transportation then inflation (CPI) is “essentially defeated.”
Tell me the UAW performance bonuses go away if they get these massive pay increases? You can’t complain about somebody else’s bonuses when you get them to!
Crooked Joe is only looking to get unions to vote for him. But we are all to stupid to know this. HaHa
Political officials have no business in the private business sector, it is church and state. You can run the politics but leave business out of it. The car industry will compromise at some level and Toyota and Tesla will have a greater advantage over competitors.
California just passed a bill to pay fast food $20/hr to flip burgers yet UAW can’t get a raise….cmon man
GM made a solid offer and the UAW scoffed at it. The UAW is asking for a ~45% pay raise, a 32 hour work week, among other laughable demands. They are going to price the workers out of a job. There is a reason why many of the Big 3 vehicles are made in other countries. They don’t need to pay those people $60 per hour to install seatbelts.
As for the $20 per hour fast food workers, either the businesses will leave or they will automate their food preparation. Working as a McDonald’s fry cook is a kid’s job. I did it when I was 16, as did many of my friends. It was a way to make money and learn responsibility, but none of us were going to make it a career.
And yet, because they build several vehicles in low wage countries, the price on dealer lots doesn’t reflect this so called “Huge labor cost savings”. In fact, the MSRP prices aren’t any lower than the same vehicle being built here in the USA…..hum, I wonder why?
Because labor costs on new vehicles are less than 10% of the total cost of a vehicle.
And in all honesty, working 16 hours a week @5$/hr when your a teenager and have no rent/car payment or grocery bill can buy you one hell of a weekend blowout, or at least it did in the prior administration.
There is no teenager that will work for that. You people give them, all, everything they want without their having to work for anything. Then they live in your basement until they are 40 years old or until they inherit anything you have. They don’t work for anything these days. You just give them credit cards and pay their bills forever and then blame the government.
JohnB – I live in California and trust me, no other state should copy what California does. This place is a toilet. The three reasons I stay is my job, the weather and my affordable mortgage, otherwise C-YA!
USA-1, Damn, you have an affordable mortgage in California? What do you live in, a mobile home? Just kidding of course.
David Hall – Mobile homes aren’t even affordable anymore. I bought in 2009 right after the crash.
This comment alone kills Biden for me. Since I’m already not voting for The Donald, I guess I’m sunk.
Beachy29579 – if this comment alone makes you not want to vote for Biden, then you haven’t been paying attention for the last 3 years. Trump 2024!
Yeah…I can’t vote for a meanie, even if he does help us to be energy independent, promote job growth in high wage sectors and keep a relatively peaceful planet. Orange people are terrible.
FJB
Ditto!
We don’t have a president seriously , Im not saying anything bad please don’t scrub my comments , my comments have been scrubbed lately, If we had a president he would have been present for the negotiations and it might not have come to this but here we are . This is a matter of national security , if the Auto industry cant compete with the rest of the world thats a problem , for this guy to embrace a strike it totally off base , I have a bad feeling in my gut because things are going to be set in motion that cant be stopped and I don’t blame GM to do what there about to do, what the union is demanding is not atainable or sustainable