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3 min ago

Automakers won't criticize Biden's visit to the picket line

From CNN's Chris Isidore

General Motors, Ford and Stellantis can't be pleased that President Joe Biden is joining the autoworkers' picket line Tuesday. But in statements Tuesday, none criticized the president's support for the union. Instead, they focused on defending their latest offers at the bargaining table.

GM:

"Our focus is not on politics but continues to be on bargaining in good faith with the UAW leadership to reach an agreement as quickly as possible that rewards our workforce and allows GM to succeed and thrive into the future," said GM's statement. It said it had made a "record economic proposal" that addresses union concerns.

Ford:

"Ford and the UAW are going to be the ones to solve this by finding creative solutions to tough issues together at the bargaining table. We have a shared interest in the long-term viability of the domestic auto industry, the industrial Midwest and good-paying manufacturing jobs in the US," said Ford's statement.

Stellantis:

"President Biden said UAW workers 'deserve a contract that sustains them and the middle class.' We agree and presented a record offer," said Stellantis' statement. "Unlike the non-unionized transplants and EV startups who comprise the majority of the US market, Stellantis relies on the collaboration between management and labor to ensure that our company remains competitive, and, therefore, sustainable. That is a position we have proudly embraced. But it also requires a balanced agreement that fairly rewards our workforce for their contribution to our success, without significantly disadvantaging Stellantis against our non-union competitors." 

3 min ago

Biden to contrast support for unions with Trump in historic visit to UAW picket line Tuesday

From CNN's DJ Judd and Arlette Saenz

As President Joe Biden heads to Wayne County, Michigan, Tuesday, he’ll seek to compare his administration’s ties to union workers with predecessor Donald Trump during a visit to a United Autoworkers Union picket line, just one day before the former president is set to descend on the state himself. 

Biden, who visited a number of picket lines as a candidate, is set to become the first sitting president to visit a picket line in modern history as he looks to contrast his work with that of “decades of politicians trying to crush” unions, a White House official said. 

In a fact sheet shared with CNN ahead of Biden’s visit to the state, the White House sought to cast the Biden administration as championing the cause of labor— in stark contrast with Trump, whom the official said “talked big and delivered little.”

“President Biden’s economic plan is investing in the American auto industry and creating good jobs for American auto workers. This includes providing incentives for companies to locate auto and other manufacturing in the United States,” the fact sheet read. “By contrast, the prior Administration passed a giant tax cut for large, profitable corporations – a windfall that even went to companies that were shipping jobs overseas. The benefits of that tax cut never trickled down to hard-working Americans and America’s auto workers.”

Biden expressed support for the striking UAW union in comments Tuesday, telling reporters in Washington, DC, “Yes, I support—I’ve always supported the UAW.”

But presidents, including Biden himself, previously have declined to wade into union disputes to avoid the perception of taking sides on issues where the negotiating parties are often engaged in litigation. The National Labor Relations Board, whose members are appointed by the president but expected to function as an independent entity, currently has 28 cases pending that were filed by the United Auto Workers.

For his part, Trump has been critical of UAW leadership, telling NBC earlier this month, UAW president Shawn Fain was “not doing a good job in representing his union."

Shortly after Trump announced his visit to Michigan, Fain blasted the former president in a statement, writing, “Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers.”

3 min ago

Last-minute logistics for Biden's Michigan visit "a mess," source says

From CNN's MJ Lee

Confusion reigned on the eve of Joe Biden’s Tuesday trip to Michigan, as the White House scrambled to finalize the president’s plans for visiting striking autoworkers and lawmakers were left guessing about his itinerary.

On Monday afternoon, members of the United Auto Workers at the site of one picket line were told that Biden would be coming to their location, only to hear later that that tentative plan was scrapped. In the absence of an announced plan from the White House, speculation spread through the UAW ranks that Biden would go to whatever picket line was closest to the airport. There was even a rumor on Monday that Biden’s trip may have been canceled altogether – a possibility that one White House official flatly denied.

It is highly atypical for a presidential visit to be so shrouded in uncertainty at such a late hour.

Meanwhile, members of the White House press corps looking to cover the president’s visit were also unsure even as of late Monday where exactly in Wayne County to go. Multiple Michigan Democrats said they were given no advance details by the White House.

The complicated logistics surrounding the president’s hastily announced visit were described to CNN by people familiar with the planning. One person on the ground described the process as “chaotic” and “a mess.”

In many ways, the planning mirrored the thorny politics of the White House’s unusual decision to send Biden to stand in solidarity with union workers in the middle of an active strike. Biden had previously declined to do so to avoid the perception that he was taking sides in an ongoing labor dispute.

Read more.

2 min ago

Auto workers union president will join Biden

From CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich

United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain will join President Joe Biden on the picket line Tuesday in Wayne County, Michigan, according to a source familiar with the situation on Monday. The source provided no specifics about the exact location.

The UAW, however, is not involved with former President Donald Trump's planned visit on Wednesday, nor have they been in contact with his team, the source said, and there has been no official invitation to Trump.

Trump will skip the second Republican presidential primary debate in California Wednesday and is expected to also head to Michigan to address union workers.

5 min ago

White House says Biden is "standing with" striking auto workers while avoiding taking a stance on negotiations

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal

Ahead of President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to “stand with” striking auto workers in Detroit, the White House walked a fine line, struggling to answer questions about the visit while avoiding weighing in on the specifics of negotiations themselves. 

“He is standing with the workers,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press briefing on Monday. “We are not involved in negotiations. That is something for them to decide what is going to work for the parties that are involved, but he is standing with the auto workers. That's what the president is doing.” 

Jean-Pierre said that Biden had accepted an invitation to visit the picket lines from United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain. Asked if the visit and declarations of support for the workers meant that Biden was taking their side in negotiations, the press secretary said she was “not going to get into negotiations from here.” 

“We're not going to speak to what's being put at the table. What we have said over and over again is that we believe there's an opportunity here for a win-win agreement," she said.

She said the administration believed that with corporations making record profits unions should get record deals, a sentiment which Biden has publicly shared over the last few weeks leading up to the strike. 

“Yes I support—I always supported the UAW,” Biden told reporters on Monday. It’s unclear whether the president specifically meant he supports the union’s demands or the union’s strike in general.

Some context: Presidents, including Biden himself, previously have declined to wade into union disputes to avoid the perception of taking sides on issues where the negotiating parties are often engaged in litigation, as CNN’s Kayla Tausche reported last week.

The National Labor Relations Board, whose members are appointed by the president but expected to function as an independent entity, currently has 28 cases pending that were filed by the United Auto Workers.

CNN's Jasmine Wright contributed reporting to this post.

5 min ago

Biden will walk the picket line with members of the United Auto Workers union

From CNN's Betsy Klein and Chris Isidore

President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday and walk the picket line with members of the United Auto Workers union. The trip comes after the president faced political pressure to ramp up his public support for the union members.

“Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs,” Biden said on Friday in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Biden’s trip, and the historic presidential appearance on a picket line, underscores the political opportunity as the strike against the nation’s three largest automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — enters its second week.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich contributed reporting to this post.

General Motors, Ford and Stellantis can't be pleased that President Joe Biden is joining the autoworkers' picket line Tuesday. But in statements Tuesday, none criticized the president's support for the union. Instead, they focused on defending their latest offers at the bargaining table.

GM:

Ford:

Stellantis:

As President Joe Biden heads to Wayne County, Michigan, Tuesday, he’ll seek to compare his administration’s ties to union workers with predecessor Donald Trump during a visit to a United Autoworkers Union picket line, just one day before the former president is set to descend on the state himself. 

Biden, who visited a number of picket lines as a candidate, is set to become the first sitting president to visit a picket line in modern history as he looks to contrast his work with that of “decades of politicians trying to crush” unions, a White House official said. 

In a fact sheet shared with CNN ahead of Biden’s visit to the state, the White House sought to cast the Biden administration as championing the cause of labor— in stark contrast with Trump, whom the official said “talked big and delivered little.”

“President Biden’s economic plan is investing in the American auto industry and creating good jobs for American auto workers. This includes providing incentives for companies to locate auto and other manufacturing in the United States,” the fact sheet read. “By contrast, the prior Administration passed a giant tax cut for large, profitable corporations – a windfall that even went to companies that were shipping jobs overseas. The benefits of that tax cut never trickled down to hard-working Americans and America’s auto workers.”

Biden expressed support for the striking UAW union in comments Tuesday, telling reporters in Washington, DC, “Yes, I support—I’ve always supported the UAW.”

But presidents, including Biden himself, previously have declined to wade into union disputes to avoid the perception of taking sides on issues where the negotiating parties are often engaged in litigation. The National Labor Relations Board, whose members are appointed by the president but expected to function as an independent entity, currently has 28 cases pending that were filed by the United Auto Workers.

For his part, Trump has been critical of UAW leadership, telling NBC earlier this month, UAW president Shawn Fain was “not doing a good job in representing his union."

Shortly after Trump announced his visit to Michigan, Fain blasted the former president in a statement, writing, “Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers.”

Confusion reigned on the eve of Joe Biden’s Tuesday trip to Michigan, as the White House scrambled to finalize the president’s plans for visiting striking autoworkers and lawmakers were left guessing about his itinerary.

On Monday afternoon, members of the United Auto Workers at the site of one picket line were told that Biden would be coming to their location, only to hear later that that tentative plan was scrapped. In the absence of an announced plan from the White House, speculation spread through the UAW ranks that Biden would go to whatever picket line was closest to the airport. There was even a rumor on Monday that Biden’s trip may have been canceled altogether – a possibility that one White House official flatly denied.

It is highly atypical for a presidential visit to be so shrouded in uncertainty at such a late hour.

Meanwhile, members of the White House press corps looking to cover the president’s visit were also unsure even as of late Monday where exactly in Wayne County to go. Multiple Michigan Democrats said they were given no advance details by the White House.

The complicated logistics surrounding the president’s hastily announced visit were described to CNN by people familiar with the planning. One person on the ground described the process as “chaotic” and “a mess.”

In many ways, the planning mirrored the thorny politics of the White House’s unusual decision to send Biden to stand in solidarity with union workers in the middle of an active strike. Biden had previously declined to do so to avoid the perception that he was taking sides in an ongoing labor dispute.

Read more.

United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain will join President Joe Biden on the picket line Tuesday in Wayne County, Michigan, according to a source familiar with the situation on Monday. The source provided no specifics about the exact location.

The UAW, however, is not involved with former President Donald Trump's planned visit on Wednesday, nor have they been in contact with his team, the source said, and there has been no official invitation to Trump.

Trump will skip the second Republican presidential primary debate in California Wednesday and is expected to also head to Michigan to address union workers.

Ahead of President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to “stand with” striking auto workers in Detroit, the White House walked a fine line, struggling to answer questions about the visit while avoiding weighing in on the specifics of negotiations themselves. 

Jean-Pierre said that Biden had accepted an invitation to visit the picket lines from United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain. Asked if the visit and declarations of support for the workers meant that Biden was taking their side in negotiations, the press secretary said she was “not going to get into negotiations from here.” 

“We're not going to speak to what's being put at the table. What we have said over and over again is that we believe there's an opportunity here for a win-win agreement," she said.

She said the administration believed that with corporations making record profits unions should get record deals, a sentiment which Biden has publicly shared over the last few weeks leading up to the strike. 

“Yes I support—I always supported the UAW,” Biden told reporters on Monday. It’s unclear whether the president specifically meant he supports the union’s demands or the union’s strike in general.

Some context: Presidents, including Biden himself, previously have declined to wade into union disputes to avoid the perception of taking sides on issues where the negotiating parties are often engaged in litigation, as CNN’s Kayla Tausche reported last week.

The National Labor Relations Board, whose members are appointed by the president but expected to function as an independent entity, currently has 28 cases pending that were filed by the United Auto Workers.

CNN's Jasmine Wright contributed reporting to this post.

President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday and walk the picket line with members of the United Auto Workers union. The trip comes after the president faced political pressure to ramp up his public support for the union members.

Biden’s trip, and the historic presidential appearance on a picket line, underscores the political opportunity as the strike against the nation’s three largest automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — enters its second week.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich contributed reporting to this post.