2023-09-16 10:57:00
Written by Rabab Fathi Saturday, September 16, 2023 01:57 PM
The British newspaper “The Independent” said that the strike by auto workers in the United States represents a test of the goals of US President Joe Biden regarding supporting unions and climate change.
The newspaper explained that two of Biden’s most important goals – combating climate change and expanding the middle class by supporting unions – are clashing in the state of Michigan, which represents a major battleground, where auto union workers have begun a strike against the largest auto companies in the country.
13,000 workers are participating in the strike so far, less than a tenth of the union’s total members, but it is a severe test of Biden’s ability to form an expanded and discordant political coalition while running for re-election, according to the newspaper.
Biden is trying to stimulate the electric car market to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent China from tightening its grip on the growing industry. His signature legislation, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, includes billions of dollars in incentives to get more clean cars on the roads.
However, some in the UAW fear the shift will lead to job losses because electric cars require fewer people to assemble. Although there will be new opportunities in high-capacity battery production, there is no guarantee these plants will unionize, and they are often planned in states more hostile to organized labor.
“The president is in a really difficult position,” said Eric Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “What he needs to be the most pro-labor president ever and the greenest president ever is a magic wand.”
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