Biden Touts Support For Labor Unions At Illinois Factory After Strike Victory

During his visit to Illinois on Thursday, President Joe Biden expressed his backing for labor unions and marked the reopening of a Stellantis factory after the United Auto Workers reached interim agreements with three major American car manufacturers after a prolonged strike.

Biden held discussions with United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and interacted with union employees during his trip to Belleville, a city located northwest of Chicago.

“I want to thank you for your commitment to solidarity, for exercising your right to bargain collectively. You made this happen,” he told the union members.

During his speech, the president conveyed to the audience that their efforts were causing a significant transformation in the country’s economy.

Biden also brought up former President Donald Trump, saying that Trump frequently asserts that our nation is currently failing.

“That’s not what I see,” he said. “I know what we can do if folks are given half a chance.”

Ahead of Biden’s visit to the plant, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that its reopening would display the president’s commitment to the working class and building the electric vehicle and battery job base.

Last month, the UAW reached a tentative deal with Stellantis, Ford and General Motors, and the White House and Fain have praised the reopening of the Stellantis plant as a product of the agreement between the UAW and Chrysler.

In his speeches on the economy, Biden often emphasizes the importance of unions, often claiming that he is the most pro-union president in U.S. history. He made an unprecedented visit to a UAW picket line in Michigan during the early stages of the autoworkers’ strike, thereby becoming the first incumbent president to do so.