Shawn Fain, President of the United Automobile Workers, intensified the pressure on the White House on Friday by extending a public invitation to President Biden to stand in solidarity with workers on the picket lines during their ongoing strike against the nation’s major automakers.
“We extend an invitation and encourage everyone who supports our cause, from our friends and family to the President of the United States, to join us on the picket lines,” Mr. Fain declared in a live-streamed speech.
The White House did not immediately respond to the invitation.
Mr. Fain’s gesture comes one week into an expanding work stoppage initiated by autoworkers at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis facilities. The union president announced that the strike, which began last week at three Midwest plants, would now encompass 38 additional locations across 20 states nationwide, starting at noon on Friday. He noted that discussions with General Motors and Stellantis had not made substantial progress but acknowledged that Ford had made more efforts to meet the union’s demands.
President Biden has voiced support for the striking autoworkers, stating when the strike commenced last week that “workers deserve a fair share of the benefits they helped create.” The White House has deployed Julie Su, the acting secretary of labor, and Gene Sperling, a top White House economic adviser, to facilitate an end to the strike.
