U.S. President Joe Biden talks about the economy and deals between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the three major automakers in Belvedere, Illinois, on November 9, 2023.
Olivier Doulieri | AFP | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — The United Auto Workers union is expected to endorse President Joe Biden as early as Wednesday, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Biden will address UAW members Wednesday afternoon at a UAW meeting in Washington, where he is likely to gain support for his 2024 campaign, sources said.
Last fall, Biden became the first sitting president to join a picket line when he visited auto workers outside Detroit who were striking to demand higher wages and the cost of living.
Biden and former President Donald Trump both won the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, victories that could mark a quick end to the primary process and the beginning of the general election.
The UAW’s support could have significant political implications because of its impact on voters in Michigan, a key battleground in the 2024 election. Biden narrowly won the state last cycle.
Trump has been trying to win over rank-and-file union voters and those who believe globalization and international trade have left behind those who built middle-class lives in manufacturing jobs. Trump’s appeal to these voters has divided union members, with union leaders traditionally aligned with Democrats and Republicans historically working more closely with companies that disagree with unions.
Biden has long touted himself as the most pro-union president of the United States, but that message didn’t matter to some members worried about immigration and trade, two key points made by Trump.
So far, Biden has received the support of nearly every other major union, including the American Federation of Labor-CIO (AFL-CIO).But so far, some are staying on the sidelines, including the Teamsters, the American Postal Workers Union and international association of firefighters.
The UAW typically endorses presidential candidates later in the cycle. In 2020, unions did not support Biden until late April.
UAW President Shawn Fain sent a message to political leaders on Monday seeking the union’s support.
“We have to get our political leaders to stand with us. Support our cause, or you’re not going to have our support,” Fein said.
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