UAW strikers sour on Biden and Trump following visit to the picket line: Report

Autoworkers appear to be souring on both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for attending their union strike and using it as a campaign stump last week.

United Auto Workers, the country’s largest auto union, announced the strike on Sept. 14, right before workers’ existing contracts lapsed. The strike is against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.

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“I grew up in a trailer but my dad could afford to take days off when I was growing up,” Jay Fuller told Axios. “I couldn’t take any time off for my daughters. A job that involved working with your hands used to be well-paying job.”

Axios interviewed two dozen autoworkers who were striking in Michigan and expressed their displeasure with the top two presidential candidates joining them at the picket line during campaign season.

“I think it’s political fodder,” Fuller said of Biden and Trump’s appearances. “Not like any of them will actually help working-class folks.”

This sentiment was relayed by other autoworkers as well.

Brooke Patterson, an autoworker, said that everyone knows “they’re just here for the politics.”

Back in 2020, Biden won nearly 60% of union members’ votes, according to AFL-CIO estimates and exit polls.

Despite his reputation as the “most pro-union president” ever, Biden hasn’t won over the UAW. Biden and Trump have been dueling for the union’s endorsement — a sharp break from the past when union endorsements were easy locks for Democrats and were written off by Republicans.

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The contenders for a likely rematch of the 2020 contest preempted last week’s second GOP presidential debate with visits to the picket line.

Michigan is one of seven states viewed as critical to the success of both candidates. The Wolverine State was painted red in 2020 but went for Biden 50.6% over Trump 47.8%, due in large part to the counties near Detroit.