WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2023) US President Joe Biden had a short private meeting with United Auto Workers leader Shawn Fain in an attempt to avert a looming strike that could have major economic and political consequences, Politico reported, citing a Union official and a White House aide.
According to the report, Fain asked Biden to use his leverage during the upcoming labor contract talks between the union and the Big Three automakers: General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, to attach stronger labor provisions to Federal grants and loans at the expense of the Inflation Reduction Act, the report said on Wednesday.
"It's a very uneven playing field right now. The companies have been very profitable for a decade � a quarter of a trillion Dollars in profits �- and our workers have regressed. So we've got to do better," the report cited Fain as telling lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Fain is also scheduled to meet with a number of House members and senators in the next couple of days, according to the report.
The existing labor contract between the union and the car companies expires on September 14, the report added.
