On September 15, the United Auto Workers began a targeted strike against Ford, GM, and Stellantis (the conglomerate that includes Chrysler) in an effort to secure higher wages, a four-day work week, and other protections in the union’s next contract. The strike is a huge development for American workers, but it’s also a big deal for President Joe Biden—these car companies are central to his green-infrastructure agenda. The union wants assurances that the industry’s historic, heavily subsidized transition toward electric vehicles will work for them, too.

Biden, whose National Labor Relations Board has been an ally of labor organizers in fights against companies such as Amazon and Starbucks, has called himself “the most pro-union president in American history.” He has expressed support for the UAW’s cause (workers “deserve their fair share of the benefits they helped create,” he said last week) and has sent aides to Michigan to assist in the negotiations.

  • ColeSloth
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    9 months ago

    The “most pro union president in history” made it illegal when rail workers were set to strike for better wages and conditions and safety.

    -A leftist.

    • TheJims@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Are sure about that friend? Because in reality a economic nightmare of a railroad shutdown was avoided and with the help of the Biden Administration rail workers got what they’ve what they were trying to get for decades.

      Reality

      • VentraSqwal@links.dartboard.social
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        9 months ago

        Kind of… He gave them a small part of what they asked for and didn’t touch the biggest stuff, like PSR. 4 days is better than 0, but still doesn’t cover the breadth of what they could’ve gotten if the strike had been allowed to continue and they were allowed to negotiate without interference.

        • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          I don’t know if I’d say it was small and they didn’t touch the biggest stuff – the companies and unions had actually come to an agreement in late Fall. The problem was the negotiators hadn’t actually understood their members’ priorities though. The deal gave like 1 sick day with several restrictions on usage, and significant salary increases over the next several years.

          Union members pushed back, and said the PTO wasn’t enough. This is when Union leadership had come back extolling the medical benefits they had secured.

          Sick days were a huge part of what the members wanted.

      • Pectin8747@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        How about our current situation is an economic nightmare? But when workers attempt to use their leverage to shift it back to something actually the least bit ethical then you have a problem?

        JFC neoliberals are so out of touch

      • Hello Hotel@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        So did biden actually take actons to stop the strikes? “i am a god, dont piss me off or ill fuck you up” situation.

        did biden have lies published about him? completely loose control of his public image

        Lies or not, was the news ment to scare union members?

        Because I and others have herd things with the message “biden attempts to stop the strike.”

        Edit: calm down HelloHotel, dont be a jackass!

        • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          He had been negotiating on the unions’ side since the summer. They actually had a deal that everyone agreed to in late Fall, but the union negotiators made a mistake and didn’t understand their members priorities. There was like one sick day that had to be scheduled in advance on certain days, but they saw significant pay increases. That isn’t where the members had their priorities though.

    • StarManta@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      The sad part is that one severe fucking of a union don’t even come close to costing him the top spot. The bar is just so low.

      • VentraSqwal@links.dartboard.social
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        9 months ago

        Kind of… He gave them a small part of what they asked for and didn’t touch the biggest stuff, like PSR. 4 days is better than 0, but still doesn’t cover the breadth of what they could’ve gotten if the strike had been allowed to continue and they were allowed to negotiate without interference.

      • Ech@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        Pointing out past actions isn’t even close to “whataboutism”.

          • Ech@lemm.ee
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            9 months ago

            You mean quietly getting them less than what they were fighting for after publicly undercutting their efforts against the companies?

            Also, still not “whataboutism”. It’s literally pointing out what the same person did in the past regarding the same issue. Historical context is important and necessary to consider.

            • UrPartnerInCrime@sh.itjust.works
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              9 months ago

              Whataboutism is literally bringing up other situations to either undercut or overlook a situation that happened. Biden is literally taking steps to further Union support, and people are saying “yeah well what about this time he wasn’t perfect”

              Idk dawg, seems like text book whataboutism to me

              • Hello Hotel@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                Biden is literally taking steps to further Union support

                I dont dought he is, even if biden had a heart of gold (i dont really know) he is still bound by other forces that compete with compassion. These competing forces could be:

                • hostility to workers disrupting power structures
                • need for this to be low profile to protect his career
                • need for this to look and feel resolved so nothing goes any further

                Biden can and will fight for workers to shut up. the above make sense as motivations. Biden will get you as much as you will accept in sick time. The reason for him to fight is to make you feel like you got enough. The above and mabe kindness makes sense as a motivation for why.

                • UrPartnerInCrime@sh.itjust.works
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                  9 months ago

                  Biden would be fighting more if Republicans weren’t literally trying to block his path every step of the way. Idgaf what you think you know, but Dark Brandon kicks ass and takes names. He’s working for the people. He may not be perfect, but who the fuck is.

              • Ech@lemm.ee
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                9 months ago

                Framing it as people whining about him “not being perfect” is utterly offbase. They are bringing up a pertinent act of his in a discussion about his position and standing regarding that very issue. If a person donated a lot of money to a charity, lets say animal shelters, but was also known to run a puppy mill, you would call it “whataboutism” to bring that up when people are excessively praising them for a one off donation?

                Biden is literally taking steps to further Union support

                He’s going for a photo op. If he starts advocating on behalf of workers rights and taking actual, meaningful action to facilitate change, then we can start being charitable with his past.