Democrats welcomed Biden’s upcoming visit to the Michigan picket lines

Democrats are hailing President Biden’s planned visit to Michigan on Tuesday to show support for striking auto workers as strikes against the Big Three Detroit automakers enter their 10th day Sunday.

The White House announced the news Friday as members of the United Auto Workers walked out of 38 parts warehouses and distribution centers for General Motors and Stellandis in 20 states. The strike surge saved Ford, adding 5,600 more workers to the strike for a total of 18,300 — about 12 percent of the union’s auto worker membership.

Biden’s visit to Michigan — which labor experts say is the first time a sitting president has gone on strike in at least 100 years — comes as his expected rival in the 2024 presidential race, former President Donald Trump, plans to offer his own. Speech to hundreds of union members in Michigan.

“President Biden is doing what he’s always done, which is to stand with American workers,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. Defending the president’s decision to visit, Buttigieg added that a strong deal would be a “win-win” for both sides: “Leading to record profits, record wages for workers and record benefits.”

On CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) also hailed Biden’s visit as a “historic event” warranted by the “crisis of inequality in our economy.”

Asked about UAW leadership’s decision to withhold Biden’s endorsement for now, Ocasio-Cortez said, “It has to be earned,” adding, “President Biden is working toward that, especially when he goes down to Michigan on Tuesday to earn it.”

Progress north of the border

The strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis began on September 15 at three auto manufacturing plants in Michigan, Missouri and Ohio that make the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Colorado and Jeep Wrangler.

Friday’s extension of the strike focused on warehouses that send parts to dealerships and other locations for auto repairs. That move could increase pressure on General Motors and Stellandis as more U.S. drivers flocking to these areas could feel the effects of shutdowns across the country: Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Orlando, Boston, Reno and beyond.

See where UAW workers are on strike or temporarily laid off

Negotiations between Ford and Unifor, the union that represents 5,400 Ford workers in Canada, are running parallel to the UAW’s bargaining with the Big Three in the United States.

Unifor announced Sunday that 54 percent of workers voted to approve a deal that includes nearly 20 percent wage increases over three years for manufacturing workers and reinstatement of cost-of-living allowances. Unifor said it is focusing on reaching a deal with Ford first that could serve as a template before starting talks with General Motors and Stellandis.

Canadian Ford workers will get A 10 percent pay rise in the first year of the deal, faster progressions to higher wages, improvements in pensions and cost-of-living adjustments from 2008.

Talks also continued on the U.S. side with Ford on Sunday, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private negotiations, and it was unclear if Stellandis and GM had continued meetings.

UAW President Shawn Fine said the union will not expand the strike against Ford for now because negotiations are progressing and the company has made more offers. This includes Ford’s agreement to provide cost-of-living adjustments to wages and new job-security provisions. However, the union is continuing its current strike against a Ford factory in Michigan.

For its part, Ford said Friday it is “working diligently with the UAW to reach an agreement that rewards our employees and helps Ford invest in a vibrant and growing future.” Ford added: “While we are making progress in some areas, there are still significant gaps to close on key economic issues. Ultimately, the issues are interconnected and must be worked into an overall agreement that supports our mutual success.

The reason for the new focus on warehouse workers is that they are often stuck with lower wages than assembly-plant workers, with those hired after 2015 dropping to $25 an hour after eight years on the job. The union also wants cost-of-living adjustments and other job security provisions for those workers, even as GM offers to move those workers to higher pay levels.

Two UAW workers on strike at the same plant, very different lives

On Friday, about a dozen workers protested outside a GM parts facility in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., an industrial area that employs 72 people. They wore T-shirts that read “Cola and Fare Pay Now” and waved signs with slogans such as “Save the American Dream.”

One worker, Wornell Mitchell, said he has been with GM for about five years and makes about $55,000 a year, including bonuses and overtime. He called working in the warehouse a “labor-intensive job,” where workers spend all day on their feet, with one 30-minute lunch break and one extra 20-minute break.

“Our wages don’t reflect what the company has done in terms of revenue,” said Mitchell, the vice president of Local 6645, adding that “they want to keep our wages down” even though their CEOs and top executives make banks.

“I honestly think they’re really out of touch,” he said of the company’s leaders. “They are not laborers” that support their wages.

The union is demanding a 36 percent wage hike over four years, improved retirement benefits, higher wages and other benefits. Full-time UAW workers today earn between $18 and $32 an hour, and annual profit-sharing bonuses have been in the tens of thousands of dollars per worker over the past four years. Temporary workers earn $16 to $19 an hour and do not receive bonuses.

All automakers are offering raises of about 20 percent over four years and other incentives they say are their best in decades. They argue that they can’t meet all of the UAW’s demands, and that they can’t afford to invest in the new factories needed to make the expensive transition to electric vehicles.

GM on Friday called the strike surge “unnecessary” and accused union leaders of “manipulating the bargaining process for their own agendas.”

“We have now launched five separate economic projects that are historic,” the company said. With a 20 percent raise in its latest offer, the company said 85 percent of GM’s UAW workers will earn a base wage of $82,000 a year by the end of the contract. It also offers two weeks of paid parental leave and other benefits.

Stellandis said it submitted a new offer with uneconomic plans The UAW did not receive a response Thursday. Its 20 percent pay raise offer said its full-time UAW workers would earn between $80,000 and $96,000 annually by the end of the contract. The company also questioned “whether the union’s leadership was interested in reaching an agreement in time.”


Football news:

<!DOCTYPE html>
Kane on Tuchel: A wonderful man, full of ideas. Thomas in person says what he thinks
Zarema about Kuziaev's 350,000 euros a year in Le Havre: Translate it into rubles - it's not that little. It is commendable that he left
Aleksandr Mostovoy on Wendel: Two months of walking around in the middle of nowhere and then coming back and dragging the team - that's top level
Sheffield United have bought Euro U21 champion Archer from Aston Villa for £18.5million
Alexander Medvedev on SKA: Without Gazprom, there would be no Zenit titles. There is a winning wave in the city. The next victory in the Gagarin Cup will be in the spring
Smolnikov ended his career at the age of 35. He became the Russian champion three times with Zenit

22:33 The Fulton County DA is discussing plea deals with at least 5 Trump co-defendants
14:32 DJI’s baby steadicam Osmo Pocket 3 has so many upgrades I don’t know where to start
10:00 African Religion and Black Resistance
6:30 Hurricane Otis Intensifies to Category 5 Ahead of Acapulco Landfall
1:23 New National Party Condemns Government’s Plans to Sell Low-Income Housing Units
1:10 13th High-Level Forum on Korea-Caribbean Partnership
22:29 The California DMV stopped Cruz’s driverless cars in San Francisco
22:00 CANADA-CARICOM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
5:03 Biden signed the bill to keep government funding and avoid a shutdown
21:02 Kansas vs. Texas, Georgia vs. Auburn, and more
17:41 Monotheism and the Demise of African Spirituality
17:10 The Contribution of West Indians to the New York City and USA Economy
13:01 Anhydrous Ammonia Spill: Several fatalities were reported after the accident in Illinois
5:00 Universal Studio Group re-established term contracts not extended – deadline
23:38 Grenada advanced to Super 50 Final
20:59 The S&P 500 fell after U.S. inflation data, ending the weakest third quarter
18:02 GRENADA’S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN
17:36 GRENADA TO HOST SECOND CARIBBEAN SIDS HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
17:26 CALL FOR INTEREST – PRAEDIAL LARCENY COORDINATOR
12:58 The Lions take charge of the NFC North after a dominant first half in a win over the Packers
4:57 Appeals court won’t delay Donald Trump civil fraud trial
0:05 West Indies Women open tour to Australia with practice match win
22:06 The Vibrant Influence: West Indian Music in the USA
20:56 Meta introduces consumer AI chatbots with celebrity avatars in its social apps – Ars Technica
20:50 October 19 shouldn’t be “diluted’’ with independence commemoration
12:56 Defeated by force, he announced the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh.
4:54 Trump criticizes Biden, Democrats, automakers over electric vehicles in suburban Detroit
4:45 Vybz Kartel Stole My Songs and Give To Renee 6:30, Says Singer Mon Chérie
4:45 I-Octane Reveals What Vybz Kartel Told Him In Prison
4:45 Spice Threatens To Beat Up Karlie Redd On Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta Finale
4:45 Chrisean Rock Says Ex-Boyfriend Is Trolling Blueface About Son’s Paternity
0:57 Grenada’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC): Time for Action
23:40 Grenada bounced back in Windwards Super 50
20:53 Meta CEO Zuckerberg Sees Digital Assistants, AI to Push Metaverse
20:00 Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs to Benefit From SheTrades Caribbean Hub
16:30 GFA Hosts Second Successful National Grassroots Launch at Morne Rouge Final Launch in Carriacou on September 30
16:06 Grenada advances towards establishing a National Coordinating Mechanism to address Gender- Based Violence in the post-Spotlight Era
14:40 16th Summit of OECS Credit Unions
12:52 Travis King: North Korea has decided to ‘deport’ an American soldier, the country’s media reported
11:46 Dr Kishore Shallow congratulates Azim Bassarath and former West Indies player Samuel Badree on T&T’s prestigious Hummingbird Medal, Gold Award
4:50 LIVE NEWS: Hollywood Writers Guild ends strike after winning new 3-year contract
3:15 Victories for the Saints on the opening day of Windwards Super 50
2:45 Eric Schmidt Backs Out Of Mega Yacht Purchase, Leaving Antigua Government With $28,000 Weekly Bill
20:49 Amazon faces landmark antitrust lawsuit from FTC
12:48 Joe Burrow is fine, but calf concerns linger in the Bengals’ win over the Rams
4:47 Joe Jonas splits with brother Nick amid Sophie Turner case
2:45 Drake Drags Charlamagne As Knockoff Morris Chestnut Over SZA Collab Comment
2:45 Usher Rethinks Serenading Gabrielle Union In Front Dwyane Wade
1:21 President Dr. Kishore Shallow Congratulates Guyana Amazon Warriors on being the Caribbean Premier League Champions
23:00 A New Black Paradigm is Needed
20:46 Ukraine war effort helped by arrival of US Abrams tanks, Ukraine says killed Russian naval commander
20:00 NIS Health Fair & Small Business Expo – October 28 2023
17:30 Grenada and Ireland sign Joint Communiqué Establishing Diplomatic Relations
17:00 Grenada and Republic of Kenya establish Diplomatic Relations
13:37 Poem: The Night of February 7th, 1974
12:45 Amazon to invest up to $4 billion in OpenAI competitor Anthropic
11:00 The Grenada Tourism Authority Announces Virgin Atlantic Expansion With Third Flight to Grenada
4:44 The lottery prize for the winner increases to $785 million
1:45 How Immigrant Business Owners Can Unlock Business Potential With SBA Loans
1:45 Immigrant Companies Can Embrace These Five Essential Practices For Effective Press Releases
20:44 Democrats welcomed Biden’s upcoming visit to the Michigan picket lines
14:09 History Created as Grenada Wins its First Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup Match
12:42 Watch NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe approach Earth tonight
4:41 WGA strike: Hollywood studios send ‘best and final’ offer to writers as strike nears
19:51 Grenada and the Kingdom of Bahrain Sign Joint Communiqué Establishing Diplomatic Relations
3:51 Texas had a big win over Alabama
22:44 The New Government of Grenada: A Very Good Job, Yet the People of Saint Andrew South West Left Behind
11:49 Daniel Califf arrested: London police find fugitive terror suspect in Chiswick
4:45 Lincoln 3Dot To Sue Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Over ‘Bongos’ Unauthorized Sample: Exclusive
4:45 Coi Leray Calls Latto ‘Karen’ For Trolling Benzino In Sexxy Red Remix
3:47 As the writers’ strike continues, the WGA is open to contracts without AMPTP
19:44 Nancy Pelosi says she’ll run for re-election to the House in 2024
18:45 Caribbean Travel News & Deals
18:45 30 things you did not know about Dominica
11:43 A rescue mission has been underway for several days to explore a deep cave in Turkey and save the sick American
11:35 Direct Caribbean-to-Africa airlift urged
11:28 BOCAS CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
7:45 Guyana, Geostrategic Entrepreneurialism And Energy
3:45 Tyrese Confronted By DJ Envy For Disrespecting His Wife
3:45 Jeezy’s Wife Jeannie Mai Celebrates His New York Times Best Seller Book
3:45 Chrisean Rock & Blueface Injects Lil Baby Into Social Media Spat Over Custody Of Son
3:41 Jimmy Fallon apologizes to staff on ‘The Tonight Show’ for allegations of rough working environment
19:40 Trump tells judge he may try to move Georgia election meddling case to federal court
11:38 Explosions around Russian military base rock area: Ukraine war live updates
3:37 Japan’s H2-A rocket heads for the moon to attempt a landing
2:45 Spice & Tamar Braxton Addresses Criticism Over Erica Mena’s Son Comment
2:45 Jada Kingdom Dating Megan Thee Stallion’s Ex Pardison Fontaine, Fans React
19:35 The US has decided to cancel Alaska oil and gas leases awarded under Trump
14:45 Erica Mena Regrets Calling Spice ‘Monkey’ But No Apology: Love & Hip Hop
11:34 Russia expresses concern as Armenia prepares to train with US troops | news
11:00 7 September 2023 is Africa-CARICOM Day
3:33 Sen. McConnell’s medical episodes show no evidence of a stroke or seizure, but questions remain
3:03 Parkland increases 2023 Guidance and announces Investor Day; Expects to deliver $2 billion Adjusted EBITDA ambition one year early
2:45 Mavado Snubs Flippa Mafia On Stage Alkaline’s New Rules New York
19:33 One person killed in rains following summer wildfires in Greece
11:31 Chip design firm Arm sets $47 to $51 share price for Blockbuster US IPO
3:30 DFW Hospital Council says North Texas reports ‘uptick’ in Covid hospitalizations – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
1:45 Buju Banton Blasts Jamaican Gov’t For Funding SSL $15 Million Salaries
19:30 Burning Man: Tens of thousands of people trapped in massive mudslides could be evacuated if roads reopen today
15:58 Brooklyn J’Ouvert A Celebrating Caribbean Culture in New York City