The United Auto Workers convention will host President Joe Biden as he gives a keynote speech before the assembled body on Wednesday.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Montgomery County Community College January 5, 2024 in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. In his first campaign event of the 2024 election season, Biden stated that democracy and fundamental freedoms are under threat.
It has been reported by the Associated Press that the convention is his shot at swaying blue-collar worker in critical battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin-both of which are states in which the automotive industry drives a signifcant portion of the economy.
Biden will speak at the closing of the three-day affair in Washington and layout his political priorities. However, there has been no indication if the UAW will use this opportunity to endorse the president as he seeks a second term, or increase their leverage by squeezing concessions from the Biden administration.
Biden's clarion call has been to present himself as the most labor-friendly president in American history, going to as far picketing alongside union workers at the GM parts warehouse in Michigan during a strike last fall outside Detroit.
UAW President Shawn Fain was reserved in his response at the conference opening on Monday.
"We have to make our political leaders stand up with us. Support our cause, or you will not get our endorsement."
Support for Biden has been varied during the convention, ranging from enthusiasm to cynicism. Additionally, Biden's support of Israel may come into play. The UAW called for a ceasefire in Gaza back in December.
What Is The Union Saying?
Johannah King-Slutzky, a member of the student workers union within the UAW, was one of several attendees who chanted "ceasefire now" during Fain's afternoon speech Monday. The union called for a ceasefire in Gaza in December."Right now he's done nothing to earn my vote," King-Slutzky told Associated Press. "he has not acted with urgency to stop the genocide in Gaza."
Leo Carrillo, a member from Kansas City, said Biden's appearance on the picket line showed that "he was there for us," and helped him to decide to vote for Biden in November.
"For me it meant a lot" that a sitting president would show that level of solidarity to autoworkers, Carrillo said. "But there's more work to be done," he said, pointing to the PRO Act - proposed legislation that would make it easier to unionize on a federal level.
The legislation advanced to the U.S. Senate but does not have enough support to survive in case of a filibuster.
Fain is the first UAW president to be elected by the members of the union. He took office after a bribery and embezzlement scandal saw two union presidents serve time behind bars.
In 2020, the union did not endorse Biden until April. With 380,000 members, an endorsement from the UAW would go far for Biden. "Actions speak louder than words," Fain said. "But this process belongs to the membership, and we'll make those decisions when it's time."
