Biden picks up UAW endorsement after lengthy delay

The United Auto Workers Union endorsed President Biden on Wednesday for a second term, hailing his longtime support of big labor and auto workers. 

“We need to know who is going to stand up with us and this choice is clear. Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blames the American workers,” said UAW president Shawn Fain, announcing the endorsement. 

“We need to know who is going to sit in the most powerful seat in the world and help us win as a united working class. So if our endorsement must be earned, Joe Biden has earned it,” he said. 

The endorsement came moments before Mr. Biden addressed UAW members at the group’s annual conference in Washington, where the president vowed to always lend his support to autoworkers. 
 
“I’m proud you have my back. I’m honored to have your back if you have mine. That’s a deal,” he told the crowd.

The UAW endorsement could help pivot the election in Michigan, where many of its members live and work. Mr. Trump won the state in 2016 and Mr. Biden narrowly captured in 2020. It’s expected to be another battleground state this year with both candidates expected to visit frequently.

Nearly every other major union has endorsed Mr. Biden, including the AFL-CIO. However, the UAW had withheld its endorsement because of concern about the auto industry’s transition to all-electric vehicles.

Even after Mr. Biden became the first president ever to march on a picket line with striking UAW workers in September, the labor union had not issued an endorsement.

The endorsement comes one day after former President Trump’s clear victory in New Hampshire, a signal that he is on the verge of becoming the GOP presidential nominee. Now both the Trump and Biden campaigns are pivoting towards the general election.

Although picking up the UAW endorsement was critical for Mr. Biden, it’s unclear if leadership will be able to convince rank-and-file members to show up for the president in November. Mr. Biden won the UAW’s endorsement in 2020 even though its rank-and-file members heavily went for Mr. Trump.

Still, union leadership is firmly in the Biden camp. Mr. Fain said late last year that “another Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster.” 

The former president has made connecting with union members a key part of his campaign strategy, targeting blue-collar Midwest voters who believe the Democratic party has left them behind. 

Mr. Biden, meanwhile, continues to boast that he’s the most pro-union president in recent history. He has often bragged that unions “brought me to the dance,” meaning that support from labor helped launch his political career more than 50 years ago.