The president of the United States, Joe Biden, has participated in a picket of the United Auto Workers union (UAW), thus becoming the first active president to take part in this type of demonstrations. “I have participated in many UAW pickets when I was a senator, since 1973, but I will tell you one thing, this is the first time I have done so as president,” Biden acknowledged from Michigan, thus breaking with the traditional neutrality of presidents in this type of cases to avoid criticism for taking sides.

In this historic participation, the tenant of the White House has stressed that workers in the sector deserve a “significant increase” and he thanked them for their work during 2008, when in the midst of the crisis they “saved the automotive industry” and made sacrifices when companies “were in trouble.”

“Now they are doing incredibly well and, guess what, you are too You should be doing incredibly well. “You deserve what you have earned, and you have earned much more than what they pay you now,” said the American president, according to the CNN news network.

“You have heard me say many times that Wall Street he didn’t build this country, the middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class. That’s a fact, so let’s move on,” added Biden, wearing a union cap, during his brief speech of just one and a half minutes.

For his part, the president of the union, Shawn Fain, has accused the CEOs of companies in the sector of “trying to justify a system” which allows them to “keep all the profits” while workers have to “fight for the leftovers.”

Likewise, the union leader has valued Biden’s presence at the demonstration, a gesture that he interpreted as support for “economic and social justice.” “These CEOs, sitting in their offices, make decisions, but we make the product,” he said.

The automobile union has called a strike at all Ford plants, General Motors and Stellantis, thus becoming the first time in history that a strike was called at the same time in the factories of the three main automobile companies in the United States.