2y ago

Joe Biden Is About to Go Where No President Has Gone Before

www.motherjones.com

Joe Biden is about to go where no president has gone before

On September 15, the United Auto Workers began a targeted strike against Ford, GM, and Stellantis (the conglomerate that includes Chrysler) in an effort to secure higher wages, a four-day work week, and other protections in the union’s next contract. The strike is a huge development for American workers, but it’s also a big deal for President Joe Biden—these car companies are central to his green-infrastructure agenda. The union wants assurances that the industry’s historic, heavily subsidized transition toward electric vehicles will work for them, too.

Biden, whose National Labor Relations Board has been an ally of labor organizers in fights against companies such as Amazon and Starbucks, has called himself “the most pro-union president in American history.” He has expressed support for the UAW’s cause (workers “deserve their fair share of the benefits they helped create,” he said last week) and has sent aides to Michigan to assist in the negotiations.

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Didn't he severely fuck the train workers unions a few months ago, or did I get that wrong?
- The Biden Administration continued working on getting them their paid sick days.
  https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/01/railroad-workers-union-win-sick-leave
  
  A fraction of the paid sick days they were asking for, while also not meeting their other major demands at all. Ending Precision Scheduled Railroading was a big one. Still going on.
  They stopped them from striking and potentially making greater gains, then tossed them some crumbs.
  They should have stayed the hell out of it or used the government's power to stop the rail companies not the strikers.
  
  It's wild to me that Biden broke the strike then got them the tiniest fucking concession afterwards and people think that's an argument that he somehow was on the side of the union the whole time. Getting 4 sick days a year is absolutely nothing compared to the whole list of grievances and it's embarrassing that people bring this up in response to him breaking the strike.
  
  And ignored the union's other demands.
- On one side I have seen where he’s continued negotiations with them to help them resolve issues without a strike which is pretty beneficial.
  On the other hand, if that’s not as good as it looks, then this could show that he realized he fucked up not letting the rail workers strike. If he’s going this hard on other strikes and supporting unions it may be to garner support for re-election. Even if it’s only for his own gain, being heavily pro union is a win for the people.
  
  Even if he's doing it for the appearance, it's good that union support is popular enough that politicians want to seem pro-union.
  
  I mean, that's basically the union working as intended. Together, we have the power to put fear in the powerful. Bosses or Biden, makes little difference.
- These strikes don’t live in a vacuum. Inflation was much higher then, and supply chain transport constraints were a driving factor for it.
  That was arguably some “Stop the Green Goblin or Save Gwen Stacy” shit.
  
  It's almost like we shouldn't have the green goblin running all our trains
- Yes, but then he got them the sick days anyhow after the fact.
  I’m concerned that the second deal isn’t part of the contract, but, yeah. He fucked them in the name of national security; then walked back and got them the ask.
  
  He got them a small number of the sick days they were demanding, and didn't address any of their other concerns whatsoever such as ending Precision Scheduled Railroading.
- Not really?
  https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid
  
  Fuck IBEW
- You did get it wrong. It prevented a strike, but still got the workers what they wanted a few months later and without wrecking the economy.
Joe Biden was a big fan of working on muscle cars when he was younger (even though he also loved public transportation). I think he can definitely appreciate the skill it takes to build a car, so I'm glad he's doing this.
Yes, he didn't do the right thing with the rail workers union- and yes, I know things were negotiated afterward, but it was the wrong way to go about it- but let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the good and acknowledge that he's doing the right thing this time, which is better than taking the side of the auto companies like the Republicans are.
- Yes, he didn’t do the right thing with the rail workers union- and yes, I know things were negotiated afterward, but it was the wrong way to go about it- but let’s not let the perfect be the enemy of the good...
  The rail union is quite pleased with how things played out according to IBEW’s Railway Department Director Al Russo.
  We’re thankful that the Biden administration played the long game on sick days and stuck with us for months after Congress imposed our updated national agreement,” Russo said. “Without making a big show of it, Joe Biden and members of his administration in the Transportation and Labor departments have been working continuously to get guaranteed paid sick days for all railroad workers.
  ...snip...
  “Biden deserves a lot of the credit for achieving this goal for us,” Russo said. “He and his team continued to work behind the scenes to get all of rail labor a fair agreement for paid sick leave.”
  He did do the right thing with the railway workers. The strike would likely have had a massive economic impact across the nation and in many different industries. Avoiding the strike while still getting the workers much of what they wanted was a very good result. Not perfect, but as you said, don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
  
  IBEW is only one of 13 rail unions, and according to another Lemmy user, their union officials are some of the more conservative ones, preferring lobbying Democrats over strikes and popular labor action. I wouldn't go to their statement to see what rank-and-file union members preferred, as they tried to negotiate weaker deals in the beginning and have generally been going against what the majority of their workers would have preferred, according to what I've heard from online union members and from places like the Railroad Workers United (a coalition of rank-and-file members across all the rail unions). It also didn't address Precision Scheduling or inadequate staffing or all sorts of other things they probably could have gotten if their leverage wasn't removed by the President and Congress.
  People need to learn what their labor is capable of and politicians interfering absorbs energy from the workers. People also need to stop thinking of themselves as consumers (oh no! My Christmas presents won't arrive in time!), and think of themselves as workers in solidarity with all other wage workers.
  I 100% agree with Flying Squid that it was the wrong way to go about it, but he's doing better now.
- acknowledge that he's doing the right thing this time
  Is he DOING anything that helps the UAW? Seems like the president should have more power than verbal support and marching.
  
  What should he be doing that doesn't exceed the powers granted to the President by the constitution?
  
  He has sent aides to Michigan to help the UAW in negotiations. I'm not sure what more he can do.
TFW your country has been a 1/10 for labor for decades and then a president bumps it to a 2/10 and all the neolib outlets champion him as the most pro-union president in history... 🤮
- I meant, it's still true. Yes there is room to grow, but look, growth!
- The bar is deep in the earth lol
- I mean, it tracks. FDR broke federal employee unions. 2/10 is the most pro union we've seen.
- Sounds like he doubled labour benefits. Beat that Europe!
- It's the lowest bar ever and he barely cleared it on his second try.
  We have been ordered to rejoice.
- Forced rail workers back to work....walks with strikers....most union pres ever
- But they DOUBLED their score!
- I cannot tell you motivations, but all people who sit in biden's chair are a slave to the status quo. If he wants to witj all his heart or hes a masochist. It doesnt matter, "you do your job, you get paid and dont ask questions."
Why don't you tell us where he is going in a useful headline as opposed to perpetuating click bait culture by using the headline from the website.
I would think this would be too dangerous for the Secret Service to give the okay on. I can only imagine the complexities involved in securing an area like that. On the other hand, I doubt any MAGA zealot would try to kill him, since that would give us our first black, female president.
- Yhe because MAGA people are known for their good sense.
- Nah, I'm pretty sure they believe if Biden is killed, RFK Jr or Sidney Powell will become President.
- Biden playing 4d chess
The "most pro union president in history" made it illegal when rail workers were set to strike for better wages and conditions and safety.
-A leftist.
- My friend, next time look a little more into it than reading headlines.
  
  That's literally exactly what happened, are you denying that?
- The sad part is that one severe fucking of a union don’t even come close to costing him the top spot. The bar is just so low.
- Are sure about that friend? Because in reality a economic nightmare of a railroad shutdown was avoided and with the help of the Biden Administration rail workers got what they’ve what they were trying to get for decades.
  Reality
  
  Kind of... He gave them a small part of what they asked for and didn't touch the biggest stuff, like PSR. 4 days is better than 0, but still doesn't cover the breadth of what they could've gotten if the strike had been allowed to continue and they were allowed to negotiate without interference.
  
  How about our current situation is an economic nightmare? But when workers attempt to use their leverage to shift it back to something actually the least bit ethical then you have a problem?
  JFC neoliberals are so out of touch
- No, the absolute fuck he didn't.
  -A leftist.
  
  Liberal *
  
  So did biden actually take actons to stop the strikes? ~~"i am a god, dont piss me off or ill fuck you up" situation.~~
  did biden have lies published about him? ~~completely loose control of his public image~~
  Lies or not, was the news ment to scare union members?
  Because I and others have herd things with the message "biden attempts to stop the strike."
  Edit: calm down HelloHotel, dont be a jackass!
- ...and continued to work on it afterward.
  
  Kind of... He gave them a small part of what they asked for and didn't touch the biggest stuff, like PSR. 4 days is better than 0, but still doesn't cover the breadth of what they could've gotten if the strike had been allowed to continue and they were allowed to negotiate without interference.
- Whataboutism. Definitely a low point of the Biden administration, but we'll take what we can.
  
  Pointing out past actions isn't even close to "whataboutism".
Is it to bosnia?
all the presidents go there every election time
they all throw some scraps out that represent what they claim to be standing for and usually the flashier guy wins
both guys work for the same team but have two different uniforms either red or blue with different letters on them but always d or r
works great for whoever they actually are representing
if anyone else has a different opinion we can chain them to a chair MURICA!
https://www.democracynow.org/2012/10/17/green_partys_jill_stein_cheri_honkala

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