'Stick With It': President Biden Joins Picket Line With UAW Workers In Michigan

President Biden joined the picket line alongside United Auto Workers union members in Michigan Tuesday, taking up a megaphone as he encouraged workers holding the line. The president urged workers to "stick with it," saying they deserve a "significant" raise and other benefits. 

"The fact of the matter is that you guys, the UAW, you saved the auto industry back in 2008 and before," the president said outside General Motor's distribution center outside Detroit. "Made a lot of sacrifices. Gave up a lot and companies were in trouble. But now they're doing incredibly well. And guess what? You should be doing incredibly well, too." 

It's an unusual move for a sitting president to make such a visible intervention for striking workers. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insists they're "not going to get into negotiations," and wouldn't say whether the White House supports UAW workers' current proposal. The Biden administration had said it would send Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and top White House adviser Gene Sperling to help with negotiations, but then decided last week to keep the two in Washington.

Su and Sperling "have been in regular touch for the past several weeks with all parties," Jean-Pierre said.

The message that Mr. Biden's presence at the strike is intended to send is that "we support the auto workers," Jean-Pierre said. 

"To be very clear, he is standing with them to make sure that they get a fair share," Jean-Pierre also said. 

The president announced he would join the picket line last week, shortly after former President Trump announced he would visit Detroit on Wednesday and skip Wednesday's Republican presidential debate in California. Trump has accused Mr. Biden of only visiting because Trump said he would. 

"Crooked Joe should be ashamed to show his face before these hardworking Americans he is stabbing in the back," Trump said in a statement Tuesday. "With Biden, it doesn't matter what hourly wages they get, in three years there will be no autoworker jobs as they will all come out of China and other countries."

The UAW, which began its walkout on Sept. 15, has expanded its strike against Detroit's Big Three automakers to include General Motors and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) distribution centers across 20 states. The Big Three also includes Ford. Fewer than 20,000 UAW members are striking, out of the UAW's nearly 150,000 members. 

The UAW has demanded a 36% pay increase, annual cost-of-living adjustments, pensions and a four-day work week, among other things. The sides still appear far apart.

Mr. Biden, who likes to call himself the most pro-union president, said last week that the companies have made "significant offers" but must do more. The president said workers deserve a "fair share of the benefits they help create for an enterprise."

"Companies have made some significant offers, but I believe it should go further — to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts," the president said when the strike began.