The Biden administration has nixed plans to send government officials to Detroit this week in an effort to help facilitate a deal between the United Autoworkers Union and the big three automakers.
The administration previously said it would send acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House senior advisor Gene Sperling.
Instead, the plan is to meet virtually on Zoom, according to reports. That doesn’t necessarily rule out a future visit from Sperling and Su, however.
President Joe Biden has called Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) and Stellantis NV (NYSE:STLA, EPA:STLA) to share their record profits with workers, but UAW leadership has maintained distance from the administration.
Shawn Fain, the UAW president, said Monday that he doesn’t envision a role for Biden in the strike.
“This battle is not about the president,” Fain said. “It’s not about the former president or any other person prior to that. This battle is about the workers standing up for economic and social justice and getting their fair share because they’re fed up with going backwards.”
Fain’s stance hasn’t stopped Donald Trump from announcing plans to visit Detroit next week and speak with union members — instead of participating in the second Republican presidential debate on September 27.
The strike began Thursday night with 13,000 UAW members at plants in Michigan, Missouri and Ohio, one for each automaker. The targeted strike is the first instance of the UAW striking all three automakers simultaneously.
Going forward, workers at more plants are expected to join the strike if “serious progress” isn’t made by Friday, Fain said.
“Autoworkers have waited long enough to make things right at the big three,” Fain said in a video released by the UAW. “We’re not waiting around, and we’re not messing around. So, noon on Friday, September 22, is a new deadline."
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel