Has Trump One Over The Auto Union Because of Biden’s and Dem’s Policies?
Democrats expressed concern when Trump strategically outmaneuvered Joe Biden by planning to deliver a speech in Detroit next week amidst the auto union strike.
Rather than participating in the Republican primary debate scheduled for September 27 at the Reagan Library in California, Trump opted to address a gathering of over 500 present and past union members in Detroit.
For the first time ever, the 150,000-member United Auto Workers Union went on strike against the "Big 3" car manufacturers at midnight on Thursday, as no agreement had been reached.
The "Big 3" comprises Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, the result of the merger between Fiat Chrysler and the PSA Group.
According to CNBC, the union's key demands encompassed a 40% hourly wage increase, a shorter 32-hour workweek, a return to traditional pensions, elimination of compensation tiers, and reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments. Additional topics included improved retiree benefits and enhanced vacation and family leave benefits.
The automakers resisted the union's demands, asserting that their proposals would lead to bankruptcy.
Democrats were quietly alarmed by Trump's upcoming speech in Detroit, as Joe Biden's administration grappled with how to handle the unprecedented strike. They felt that Trump had outsmarted them and that their response was now constrained.
A national Democratic strategist remarked, "Trump beat us to it. If we announce our attendance now, it'll seem like we're just reacting to Trump. We waited too long; that's the challenge."
As per Politico, a union advisor observed that Trump had put Biden in a difficult position and called it a strategic move.
Politico reported that some of Joe Biden's allies were concerned about Donald Trump's handling of the auto workers' strike, particularly his decision to visit Detroit for a speech. Democrats close to the White House viewed Trump's trip as a calculated move to exploit the United Auto Workers' strike at three plants for political gain. They also worried that Trump's approach was more sophisticated than in previous election cycles and that Biden's team needed to up their game.
Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a member of Biden's national advisory board, emphasized the need for a message that resonates with working-class Americans who are facing challenges such as rising gas prices, food costs, housing expenses, and stagnant wages.
Earlier this month, despite being hailed as the most pro-union president in U.S. history, Joe Biden dismissed concerns about the impending auto workers' strike, stating that he wasn't worried until it actually happened.
Auto workers expressed dissatisfaction with Joe Biden as they prepared for a historic United Auto Workers union strike. In Kokomo, Indiana, the hometown of UAW President Shawn Fain, a group of twelve union members gathered to voice their frustration.
Gary Quick, president of Local 685, questioned Biden's actions and suggested that even Biden might not be aware of his own accomplishments.
Another union member, Denny Butler, criticized Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, stating that they were insincere. He noted a shift in the Democratic Party's stance over the years, emphasizing that it was no longer what it used to be in terms of supporting working people.
