Joe Biden claims workers benefit from strong unions
Washington, Nov 20 (EFE).- The President of the United States, Joe Biden, defended the work of the unions regarding the announcement from the ratification of new collective agreements at General Motors (GM), Ford and Stellantis.
Biden said in a statement that “these contracts show that when unions do well, it lifts all workers”, referring to the collective bargaining agreements between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the nation’s three big automakers (GM, Ford, and Stellantis).
The US president said that after the big three US manufacturers agreed to the UAW’s demand for a 25% pay increase for their workers over the next four years, “Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru announce significant wage increases as well.”.
“The UAW is fighting hard to ensure that all auto jobs are good, middle-class jobs – and I stand with them in that fight,” Biden concluded.
The US President’s statement comes on the same day that the UAW officially announced the ratification of collective bargaining agreements at GM, Ford and Stellantis, following employee votes at all three companies.
Across the three major manufacturers, 64% of workers who voted ratified the agreements, according to figures released by the union.
The UAW and the three US automakers only reached agreements after the union organized its first-ever simultaneous strike at GM, Ford and Stellantis.
The strike, which lasted six weeks and ended on 30 October, cost the companies between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion (€1.096 billion and €1.188 billion). EFE
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