BELLEVILLE (WWJ) – As the UAW’s historic strike against all of the Detroit Three automakers reached a 12th day on Tuesday, picketing workers in Wayne County saw a piece of history.
President Joe Biden became the first sitting president to visit a labor union’s picket line as he made a brief appearance outside GM’s Willow Run Parts Redistribution Center in Belleville.
Sporting a UAW ballcap, Biden was greeted by several hundred workers outside the plant, which joined the union’s strike last Friday. He delivered a message of solidarity for the workers, saying they deserve a fairer share of the automakers’ record profits.
“Wall Street didn’t build this country, the middle class built this country. The unions built the middle class. That’s a fact,” Biden said on a bullhorn. “You deserve what you’ve earned. And you’ve earned a hell of a lot more than you’re getting paid now.”
Biden spent about 15 minutes with workers outside the plant before leaving shortly before 2 p.m. to depart for California.
Oakland University history professor and automotive labor historian Daniel Clark called it "very unusual for an American president to visit a picket line."
"I don’t think it’s ever happened before. In the longest arc of American history, presidents might have been more likely to send troops to break a strike back in the 19th century. So that’s a big deal for a president to show some support for striking workers," Clark said live on WWJ Tuesday afternoon.
His visit to Metro Detroit comes a day before former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak to a crowd of roughly 500 UAW members Wednesday night at Drake Enterprises in Clinton Township.
Clark says visits from both the incumbent and a rival are not uncommon, but this week's visits are unique for a presidential race.
"You would expect to see, perhaps, visits in support of workers in one way or another during a presidential campaign during the primary season, but not necessarily during a strike like this," Clark said.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest coverage of President Biden's visit to Metro Detroit. >>> LISTEN LIVE!