UAW Strike Looms, Could Be A Problem For The White House.
“Labor supporters say the roots of the conflict date back decades, to Democratic presidents who pursued pro-business or free-trade policies that the union blames for hollowing out protections for American workers. Now Biden is facing the blowback from that era, even as he pursues energy policies that he pledges will reverse that tide and rebuild U.S. manufacturing jobs.
“UAW members feel abandoned by the Democratic Party,” former UAW President Bob King said in an interview, citing President Bill Clinton’s signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the failure of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to ensure that clean energy funds flow to union workers. “I think there’s a segment of the Democratic Party that sees itself as serving corporations rather than the common good. … We’ve had a lot of disappointments.””
The World has dramatically changed since the hey day of the UAW in the 1970s. The union has hemorrhaged members in the last few decades but still holds considerable clout especially in hotly contested e states in the Midwest like Michigan and Ohio. The Biden Administration wants to be read as promoting the interests of the average joe in in Middle America while also appeasing environmentalists who are 100% invested in the electrification of the auto industry. The delicate balancing act of the Biden Administration will set manufacturing precedent for years to come.
