this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2023
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On September 15, the United Auto Workers began a targeted strike against Ford, GM, and Stellantis (the conglomerate that includes Chrysler) in an effort to secure higher wages, a four-day work week, and other protections in the union’s next contract. The strike is a huge development for American workers, but it’s also a big deal for President Joe Biden—these car companies are central to his green-infrastructure agenda. The union wants assurances that the industry’s historic, heavily subsidized transition toward electric vehicles will work for them, too.

Biden, whose National Labor Relations Board has been an ally of labor organizers in fights against companies such as Amazon and Starbucks, has called himself “the most pro-union president in American history.” He has expressed support for the UAW’s cause (workers “deserve their fair share of the benefits they helped create,” he said last week) and has sent aides to Michigan to assist in the negotiations.

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[–] kaput@jlai.lu 88 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Didn't he severely fuck the train workers unions a few months ago, or did I get that wrong?

[–] the_toeknee@lemmy.world 133 points 1 year ago (4 children)
[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 62 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A fraction of the paid sick days they were asking for, while also not meeting their other major demands at all. Ending Precision Scheduled Railroading was a big one. Still going on.

They stopped them from striking and potentially making greater gains, then tossed them some crumbs.

They should have stayed the hell out of it or used the government's power to stop the rail companies not the strikers.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 32 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Well Congress did vote on a bill to give rail workers 7 days of sick leave at the same time as the vote preventing the strike. One bill got enough Republican support to pass, the other didn't. If there were more Democrats in Congress, the outcome would have been more favorable to the unions, hands down

[–] MonkCanatella@sh.itjust.works 31 points 1 year ago (2 children)

the cool thing about strikes is congress doesn't have to vote for a company to give in to the demands of the workers. As a matter of fact congress has fuck all to do with it

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[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (9 children)

If they'd not intervened AT ALL they could've gotten even more by striking.

Or even better just make a reasonable amount of sick days federal law for all, and also put better safety legislation for trains.

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[–] HelloHotel@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

hey me, angey and ill informed child, shut your faceHow does that not sound like a complete violation of the constitution. "We voted to give you 7 days to not work somtimes and in exchange took your right to not work"

[–] Pectin8747@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They're the ones that made the call to split the bill saying it was guaranteed to pass which made no sense

We need to stop saying "if there were more democrats" and start saying "if there were more socialists"

[–] CoderKat@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, it boggles my mind that the bills were split. The only reason I can think of to explain that is that they simply knew what was going to happen and any other explanation is just gaslighting us into thinking that they were doing something.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Yeah, it boggles my mind that the bills were split.

The only reason to split a bill is to pass the centrist/republican portion and let the progressive portion fail.

[–] drdalek13@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Sorry, gotta pull and old Reddit classic here:

This

[–] dannoffs@lemmy.sdf.org 41 points 1 year ago (19 children)

It's wild to me that Biden broke the strike then got them the tiniest fucking concession afterwards and people think that's an argument that he somehow was on the side of the union the whole time. Getting 4 sick days a year is absolutely nothing compared to the whole list of grievances and it's embarrassing that people bring this up in response to him breaking the strike.

[–] Kraiden@kbin.social 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Huh. It's really weird to read stuff like this. Just reminds me how lucky I am to not be in the US... with my legally mandated 10 days a year and all...

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[–] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

People comment "don't let good be the enemy of perfect" about this, as if what they got even approaches good. You see how low the bar is at least.

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[–] Ajen@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

And ignored the union's other demands.

[–] Uprise42@artemis.camp 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

On one side I have seen where he’s continued negotiations with them to help them resolve issues without a strike which is pretty beneficial.

On the other hand, if that’s not as good as it looks, then this could show that he realized he fucked up not letting the rail workers strike. If he’s going this hard on other strikes and supporting unions it may be to garner support for re-election. Even if it’s only for his own gain, being heavily pro union is a win for the people.

[–] julianh@lemm.ee 20 points 1 year ago

Even if he's doing it for the appearance, it's good that union support is popular enough that politicians want to seem pro-union.

[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

I mean, that's basically the union working as intended. Together, we have the power to put fear in the powerful. Bosses or Biden, makes little difference.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

These strikes don’t live in a vacuum. Inflation was much higher then, and supply chain transport constraints were a driving factor for it.

That was arguably some “Stop the Green Goblin or Save Gwen Stacy” shit.

[–] Aabbcc@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It's almost like we shouldn't have the green goblin running all our trains

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yes, but then he got them the sick days anyhow after the fact.

I’m concerned that the second deal isn’t part of the contract, but, yeah. He fucked them in the name of national security; then walked back and got them the ask.

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 13 points 1 year ago (3 children)

He got them a small number of the sick days they were demanding, and didn't address any of their other concerns whatsoever such as ending Precision Scheduled Railroading.

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