Biden says UAW should fight for 40% pay raise in Michigan strike visit

FILE PHOTO: Striking United Auto Workers (UAW) union workers picket outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, U.S., September 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dieu-Nalio Chery/File Photo

BELLEVILLE, Michigan (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Tuesday joined a picket line with striking autoworkers in Michigan, supporting their call for a 40% pay raise and saying they deserve a "lot more" than they are getting.

Biden's appearance, the first visit by a U.S. president to striking workers in modern history, comes a day before Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for president, will speak to auto workers in Michigan. The rare back-to-back events highlight the importance of union support in the 2024 presidential election, even though unions represent a tiny fraction of U.S. workers.