The US president has expressed clear support of the auto workers who began targeted strikes on Friday, September 15 against the country's three historic automakers, General Motors (GM), Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler). "Let's be clear, no one wants a strike. I'll say it again. No one wants a strike. But I respect workers' right to use their options under the collective bargaining system. And I understand the workers' frustration," the Democratic president said in an address at the White House. Although the automakers have "made some significant offers," Biden believes that they "should go further to ensure that record corporate profits translate into record contracts [for the UAW]," the United Auto Workers, the industry's historic union.

The combined worldwide operating profit of the three Detroit (Michigan) based automakers soared from 4.8 billion dollars (4.5 billion euros) in 2020 to 29.4 billion in 2021 and 37.2 billion in 2022.

The strikers are demanding a 36% pay rise over four years, a 32-hour week and a return to guaranteed pensions. The three companies have proposed pay rises of around 20%. GM boss Mary Barra, who is close to President Biden, has expressed her disappointment. "I'm extremely frustrated and disappointed," she told CNBC on Friday, "this is a strike that didn't need to happen. We have a historic offer on the table."

For the first time ever, the UAW has chosen to strike all three automakers together, but for the time being it is targeting just one plant per manufacturer. Employees have walked out at the Ford Bronco plant in Detroit, the Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio, and a GM truck plant in Missouri. The union is targeting the factories that produce the three companies' most profitable products, although so far only around 12,700 employees are on strike out of a total of 140,000 unionized auto workers.

The tactic is meant to minimize the impact on the union's financial resources while leaving the management of the companies in a state of uncertainty. The approach was designed by new UAW boss Shawn Fain, a former Chrysler electrician from Ohio who hails from the left wing of the union. Fain, 54, was elected this winter in the aftermath of a corruption scandal that hit the union in 2020 and sent some former leaders to prison. In response, the federal government demanded that the UAW president be henceforth elected directly by members rather than by union section leaders.

When he took office, Fain refused to endorse Biden for re-election, breaking with the UAW's custom of backing the Democratic candidate. He also refused to shake hands with the Big Three bosses at the start of negotiations, another tradition. The new union leader adopted an openly offensive strategy that included the possibility of strike action. "We got to do what we got to do to get our share of economic and social justice in this strike," said Fain outside the Ford Bronco pickup plant on Friday, "we're going to be out here until we get our share of economic justice. And it doesn't matter how long it takes."

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