The U.S. Chamber of Commerce took a swing at the Biden administration Friday, saying its pro-union stances caused the recent United Auto Workers strike.
Suzanne Clark, president of the Chamber, said the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) decision to strike at midnight Friday “will have far-reaching negative consequences for our economy.”
“The UAW strike and indeed the ‘summer of strikes’ is the natural result of the Biden administration’s ‘whole of government’ approach to promoting unionization at all costs,” Clark continued in a statement. “For the 94% of American private sector workers not in a union, the costs are starting to stack up – from increasing consumer costs — now for new cars — to sudden loss in business for those in related industries like auto suppliers, restaurants and caterers whose customers are now on strike.”
The UAW went on strike after contract negotiations between it and the Big Three automakers — Ford, Stellantis and General Motors — fell apart. The union’s demands include higher pay, job security and increased benefits.
President Biden has shown his outward support for unions, touting himself as the most pro-union president in history. In June, he held a campaign rally with union workers in Philadelphia, where he said they would be at “the center” of a “transformation” that has “the power to transform this country for the next five decades.”
“In 10 years, America’s going to look around and say, ‘My God, look what we did. Look at the nation’s roads, bridges, airports and all the investments,’” Biden said at the rally.