Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Detroit, MI – Today, President Biden made history as the first sitting president to join a picket line as he stands in solidarity with the United Auto Workers striking for a fair contract.
The Sierra Club has repeatedly stated its strong support for UAW and called on the ‘Big Three’ to do the right thing and agree to a fair contract with workers, including ensuring autoworkers previously assembling gas-powered vehicles are eligible for unionization — offering the same pay and benefits — in the ‘Battery Belt’ of the South and Midwest.
Late yesterday, in an attempt to threaten to kill jobs, Ford announced that construction on its LFP battery plant in Marshall, MI, the first of its kind on U.S. soil, would be delayed.
Donald Trump is expected to visit Michigan on Wednesday. Meanwhile, other Republicans, including notoriously anti-labor Senator Josh Hawley, have sought to exploit UAW’s fight for a fair contract.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“For too long, corporations, billionaires and the politicians representing their interests have exploited working Americans. They have fought to reduce workers' pay and benefits, to pit them against one another, and to force them to make sacrifices to increase corporations’ bottom line. The Sierra Club stands in solidarity with the United Auto Workers fighting for a fair contract. As profits for the ‘Big Three’ have soared, workers are being left behind – this inequity must stop now.
“As President Biden has said, addressing climate change means jobs. This means jobs across the country in countless sectors, including for UAW members who are building the electric vehicles to drive us into a livable future. Rather than endanger our collective future by threatening to delay these jobs, the ‘Big Three’ must step up their negotiations and partner with workers to build a stronger, more resilient future.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.