United Automobile Workers Union Endorses Biden

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Facts

• US Democratic Pres. Joe Biden on Wednesday received the reelection endorsement of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union on the last day of the UAW's national conference in Washington, D.C. The UAW represents more than 400K workers.¹
• UAW president Shawn Fain had said his union's 2024 endorsement needed to 'be earned, not freely given.' On Wednesday, Fain said Biden 'earned it' last September by becoming the first sitting US president to ever walk the picket line with UAW members. The UAW also endorsed Biden in 2020.¹
• Fain also called Republican former Pres. Donald Trump, who's the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, a 'scab' who doesn't support union workers.²
• Biden reacted to the endorsement by saying he's 'honored' and touting that he has kept his 'commitment to be the most pro-union president ever.'³
• Support from blue-collar workers, especially in swing states with high union populations — including Wisconsin and Michigan — could be crucial in the 2024 election. Biden often refers to his working-class upbringing in Scranton, Pa., but Trump has maintained a strong amount of blue-collar support.⁴
• Biden's speech was briefly interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but the UAW crowd mostly voiced its support of the president in the remarks overall.⁵

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²AOL, ³CNBC, ⁴CBS and ⁵NPR Online News.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington Post. Endorsing Biden over Trump was an easy decision for the UAW, which follows in the path of several other unions that have pledged their support for the president earlier than usual this election cycle. While Biden comes from a working-class background and practices what he preaches to help blue-collar workers, Trump says he's pro-worker even though his presidency featured policies that weakened unions and their advocacy for working class people.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. It's absurd that at the same time the UAW is lamenting the damage done to its union in recent years, it also endorsed the president who's causing much of their pain. Biden opposes Trump's pro-US tariffs and supports free-trade agreements. If it wasn't for Biden's inflation and electric-vehicle mandates, there never would've been a UAW strike. Trump will still get plenty of blue-collar support in 2024, even if the UAW is misguided.

Predictions