VOA新闻杂志2023--Biden Joins Striking Autoworkers in Michigan

Biden Joins Striking Autoworkers in Michigan

American President Joe Biden joined members of the United Auto¹ Workers (UAW) on a picket² line as they continued their strike against U.S. carmakers Tuesday.

Biden's action represents the strongest presidential support in history for striking workers.

"You deserve the significant raise you need," Biden said after arriving at a General Motors parts center west of Detroit, Michigan. He walked along the picket line, exchanging fist bumps with striking workers.

He said "yes" when asked if UAW members deserved a pay increase, one of the demands that the union has made. "No deal, no wheels!" workers said loudly as Biden arrived. "No pay, no parts!"

Candidates have appeared at strikes to show support for union members. During his 2020 Democratic primary campaign, Biden and others joined a picket line of casino workers in Las Vegas, Nevada. But sitting presidents have to balance the rights of workers, businesses and economic concerns. They have long avoided such appearances.

"No president has ever walked a picket line before," said Erik Loomis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island and an expert on U.S. labor⁴ history. Loomis added that presidents "saw themselves more as mediators. They did not see it as their place to directly intervene in a strike or in labor action."

Biden's action represents the strongest presidential support for striking workers since 1902. In that year, University of Texas historian Jeremi Suri said, President Theodore Roosevelt invited striking coal workers to the White House.

Biden joined the striking workers one day before former President Donald Trump⁶ plans another event with auto workers in Detroit. Trump is the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination⁷ and will likely face Biden in the general election.

The UAW strike against three major American carmakers started 12 days ago on September 14. The UAW targeted General Motors, Ford⁸ and Stellantis, the maker³ of Chrysler and Jeep. Thirteen-thousand auto workers went on strike that day. And another 5,600 joined them last week.

The labor union is asking for fewer working hours, improved benefits and a 36 percent raise in pay over four years. The group is also asking for union representation at new electric vehicle battery factories.

The group said workers had given up raises for many years to help auto companies through the 2007 to 2009 financial crisis. American auto companies also received government support at the time but have since become very profitable. The three companies have received net income of $164 billion since and $20 billion this year.

On Monday, Biden said "I think the UAW gave up an incredible amount back when the automobile⁹ industry was going under. They gave everything from their pensions on, and they saved the automobile industry." He added that workers should benefit from carmakers' riches.

Republicans believe Biden's push for electric vehicles (EVs) is unpopular with auto workers. In a statement on Tuesday, Trump accused Biden of "stabbing" autoworkers in the back. Biden's EV push, he said, will hurt the U.S. auto industry and cost jobs.

The auto industry and its labor unions usually play an important part in elections in Michigan and other midwestern states.

In 2016, Trump captured the White House by winning the state of Michigan among others. Biden won Michigan in 2020.

Words in This Story

picket –v. to stand in a public place and protest, especially for workers to call on an employer to pay them more money

deserve –v. to say if some should have something or not

significant –adj. important; notable

fist bump –n. a form of greeting that is meant to show agreement or solidarity¹⁰

casino –n. a business where gambling¹¹, or games of chance, are offered

mediator⁵ –n. a person who works with opposing sides in an effort to bring them to an agreement

benefits –n. (pl.) things offered in addition to pay that are employers give their employees

battery –n. a device that holds electrical charge to power electric machines or electronics

net income –n. money from business that is left after costs are subtracted

pension –n. an amount of money that a company or government pays who is retired or unable to work any longer

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

6 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

7 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

8 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

9 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

11 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。