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United Auto Workers chief Shawn Fain made it clear he wouldn’t be meeting with former president, Donald Trump, on Wednesday as autoworkers continue their historic strike.
“I find a pathetic irony that the former president is going to hold a rally for union members at a nonunion business,” Fain said in an interview on CNN on Tuesday.
Trump, who’s seeking to challenge current Democratic President Biden next year, made comments during a speech at Drake Enterprises, a parts supplier in Clinton Township.
Trump told them, ”negotiations don’t mean as much as you think.”
Trump railed against electric vehicles during the campaign stop in suburban Detroit Wednesday night.
He said in part they’re too expensive, aren’t capable of traveling far enough and would spur job losses for Americans.
Amid a historic strike by the United Auto Workers against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, Trump told them: “Your current negotiations don’t mean as much as you think.”
He described a future “fueled by American energy” and “built by highly skilled American hands and high-wage American labor.” As he is known to do, the address was short on specifics for how he would accomplish the goals.
UAW began its strike on September 15
Fain has emerged as a vocal critic of the Trump past and present viewpoints and policies.
Fain said that during the recession in 2008, Trump blamed UAW members and their contracts “for everything that was wrong with these companies,” and he accused Trump of being nonresponsive during a previous major strike.
United Auto Workers are taking a historic stand
While President Biden has been quiet during his re-election campaign amid increased questions about his fitness for office, his Tuesday appearance and allegiance with Fain is expected to pay political dividends by workers locally and nationally.
In Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday, it marked the first time a sitting president has ever visited a picket line.
Biden stated workers deserve more pay than they are receiving, along with other benefits being advocated for by union negotiators.
United Auto Workers represents over 400,000 people
The United Auto Workers (UAW) is one of the most prominent labor unions in the United States.
The union represents over 400,000 workers in the automotive industry.
UAW has a long history of advocating for workers’ rights, fair wages, and safe working conditions. They have often been at the forefront of labor struggles, fighting for better working conditions and benefits for their members.