Fast Times at The UAW Picket Line

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday joined auto workers striking in Detroit, Michigan, taking a bullhorn to say in a short speech that workers “[deserve] what you’ve earned, and you’ve earned a hell of a lot more than you’re getting paid now.”

The photo-op was described as historic by The White House and multiple Western media outlets, which said it was the first time a sitting US president “joined” a picket line.

The president spent less than half an hour at the strike, according to media reports, and did not offer any concrete policy declarations that would help the workers in their struggle. Still, United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain thanked Biden for visiting the strike, which he called “our generation-defining moment.”

Biden announced he would visit the striking autoworkers after his likely opponent in the upcoming presidential election, former President Donald Trump, announced he planned to visit Detroit. The White House has insisted the timing had nothing to do with Biden’s plan, noting Fain had requested Biden visit the striking workers.

The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to paint itself as “the most pro-union” administration in US history. While he did vocally support unionization efforts at Amazon warehouses and issued an executive order authorizing the creation of a labor task force to protect unionization efforts, he also infamously forced rail worker unions to take a deal with rail companies they voted against.

Furthermore, Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, requiring that all new car sales be electric by 2035, has angered auto workers who fear it puts their jobs at risk as electric vehicles require fewer workers to manufacture. Biden did not mention electric vehicles when speaking to the auto workers in Detroit.