As the United Auto Workers (UAW) prepare to end their month-long strike, the union is sending a strong message to President-elect Joe Biden and other public leaders: it’s time to choose a side.
“We’ve got to show people that labor is still here, that labor still matters, that labor still fights,” UAW President Rory Gamble told the Detroit Free Press in an interview. “It’s not enough to have words like ‘I support the workers.’ As we started to see at the DNC… it’s time to pick a side on these issues.”
The strike against General Motors, which began in mid-September, was the union’s largest in more than a decade and is expected to cost the company more than $2 billion. It also brought to light the aging Detroit Three factories, and the plight of the thousands of UAW members that depend on them for their livelihoods.
Workers at GM have largely held out for better wages, improved shifts and better labor conditions, while also advocating for policies to increase the safety and quality of their jobs. In addition to wages, the union is also seeking to ensure better job security and a fair share of profits.
So far, union bargaining team representatives have returned with tentative agreements that are expected to be voted on soon. However, it is not yet clear which of the workers’ key demands will make it into the final contract.
Gamble has applauded the workers for their tenacity, noting that it will hopefully be a wake-up call to the Biden administration. He believes that Biden can be an important ally in protecting workers’ rights and creating policies that benefit all Americans.
“The strike has succeeded at putting the rise of the middle class front and center in this election,” Gamble said. “We need to make sure that Joe Biden delivers on promises to support union workers and middle-class voters. His policies must ensure the economy works for everyone, not just a few.”
As the union awaits ratification of the tentative agreement, UAW members have made it clear that they are not backing down from their fight for change. Their strike is a show of strength and will likely encourage more workers to organize, particularly as the labor movement continues to grow in the United States.
