joe biden addresses blue collar workers at uaw conference
President Joe Biden is set to be the main speaker at the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) conference in Washington. This event is important for him to gain support from blue-collar workers in important states like Michigan and Wisconsin. These states are key for winning elections and have a lot of people working in the auto industry.
Biden is trying to himself as a supporter of labor unions and workers. He even joined workers on a strike line at a GM warehouse in Detroit last year. But some union leaders are not quickly endorsing him for a second term. They want to see more support for their causes first.
At the UAW conference, opinions about Biden vary among union members. Some, like Caroline Loveless from Iowa, are really supportive because of his past support for their strike. Others, like William Louis from Connecticut, are less excited but still prefer Biden over Donald Trump.
A big topic is the PRO Act, a law that would make it easier for people to form unions. It’s stuck in the Senate and needs more support. Some younger union members are also unhappy with Biden because of his stance on Israel and the situation in Gaza.
The United Auto Workers (UAW), which has about 380,000 members, usually takes its time to endorse a presidential candidate. They didn’t back Biden until April 2020 last time. The union’s president, Shawn Fain, has had to be careful about endorsements because of past scandals in the union.
This endorsement can influence not just union members but also other blue-collar workers who are increasingly voting Republican. The UAW’s decision could sway many votes in the upcoming election.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden also won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, even though he wasn’t on the ballot. His supporters wrote his name in, giving him a lead over his main competitor, Rep. Dean Phillips. Marianne Williamson came in third.
This win is unusual because write-in campaigns are hard to do. Only two senators have won this way before. Biden’s win was helped by the ‘Write-in Biden’ campaign, which worked hard to remind voters about him.
This victory is a big change from four years ago when Biden got only 8% of the vote in New Hampshire. It’s also a setback for Phillips, who has spent a lot of his own money on his campaign.