U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the UAW and the three major Detroit auto giants can each get what they want in contract negotiations, with workers receiving significant pay increases and job protections while automakers keep their businesses thriving. U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to support striking UAW members. Buttigieg told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that Biden is "proud to be the most pro-worker, pro-union president in our history."
"These auto companies can also thrive on win-win deals like the president calls for, which means record profits should lead to record pay and benefits for the workers who create all that value," said Pete Buttigieg.
General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV have posted record profits for four consecutive years, and Ford Motor Co.'s profits are also strong. The union insists the companies can meet its demands for pay rises of up to 40%, pointing to rising CEO pay and billions of dollars in stock buybacks to reward shareholders.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has said the wage demands would "bankrupt us."
Buttigieg did not mention the government's support for the 40% wage increase request. "The president and this administration, we're not at the table," he said. "But we are with the workers."
More than a week after the strike began, the two sides remain far apart over key issues such as pay, benefits and terms.
UAW President Sean Fein said on Friday the union would expand strike action against General Motors Co. and Stellantis but not Ford as union leaders said they had obtained more concessions from the company.