Beforehand, the UAW, which represents round 391,000 members throughout a number of industries, most prominently auto employees, had agitated for federal EV tax incentives to be for under union-made EVs, one thing which made overseas automakers mad as a result of it could have been a aggressive drawback, as a result of solely the Huge Three are unionized within the U.S. That specific provision didn’t move, in any case, although one which did as a part of the Inflation Discount Act was that EVs that get the tax credit should be American made.

Shortly earlier than the IRA was lastly enacted in August, the UAW, nonetheless, launched a press release saying that it’s good.

The Inflation Discount Act of 2022 is a vital invoice for our nation and dealing households. It makes vital investments in U.S manufacturing to assist guarantee new automobiles and rising applied sciences and are in-built America for many years to return, lowers the prices of life-saving medicine and well being care insurance coverage, tackles local weather change in a significant method, and reduces the deficit.

That, nevertheless, was earlier than a altering of the guard on the prime of the UAW, with Shawn Fain being sworn in as the brand new UAW president in March, having ousted incumbent Ray Curry earlier this 12 months in an election. Fain ran for the UAW presidency on a platform of shaking issues up and difficult the powers that be, most instantly automakers forward of contract negotiations this summer time.

But in addition, apparently, inside the Democratic institution as nicely. From Reuters on Wednesday:

United Auto Employees (UAW) President Shawn Fain stated the Detroit-based union will not be but endorsing President Joe Biden for a second time period, citing considerations about electrical car insurance policies.

In a letter to members seen by Reuters on Wednesday, Fain famous a number of nationwide unions have been fast to endorse Biden however the UAW will not be but doing so.

“The federal authorities is pouring billions into the electrical car transition, with no strings hooked up and no dedication to employees. The EV transition is at severe danger of turning into a race to the underside. We need to see nationwide management have our again on this earlier than we make any commitments,” Fain stated.

[…]

The letter famous that the UAW will enter contract talks on behalf of 150,000 employees at Basic Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler-parent Stellantis. Fain stated the Detroit Three “are making report earnings whereas employees get left behind. We’ll stand with whoever stands with our members in that struggle.”

Fain stated the union shall be “prepared to speak politics as soon as we safe a future for this trade and the employees who make it run.” He stated “one other Donald Trump presidency can be a catastrophe. However our members have to see an alternate that delivers actual outcomes.”

Fain’s reference to different unions endorsing Biden quickly after he introduced his run for reelection was a shot at SEIU, which has round two million members and endorsed, and IBEW, which has round 775,000 members and endorsed, in strikes that felt fairly professional forma.

If and when Joe Biden wins the Democratic main to run for reelection once more, the UAW will possible endorse him as nicely, if not earlier than. Not doing so proper off the bat at the very least provides the UAW a bit of extra leverage, and probably even an even bigger voice for the rank-and-file, or at the very least one can dream. That’s what Fain stated he was going to do, in any case.