Topline
President Joe Biden cheered the tentative contract announced Sunday between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that is expected to end a months-long strike in a statement Monday that seeks to capitalize on his union bona fides as a key messaging strategy for his reelection campaign.
US President Joe Biden announces the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, in the Rose … [+] Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, September 22, 2023. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Key Facts
Biden called the agreement “a testament to the power of collective bargaining” that will “allow writers to return to the important work of telling the stories of our nation, our world.”
The statement comes after the union and the studios announced a tentative deal Sunday for a three-year contract that would end a nearly five-month strike as the union lobbied for a pay increase and controls on the use of artificial intelligence.
Biden acknowledged that the “agreement did not come easy,” and specifically noted the “assurances related to artificial intelligence.”
The president also made a reference to the United Auto Workers strike that began earlier this month at three major auto manufacturing plants in the Midwest.
Crucial Quote
“I urge all employers to remember that all workers – including writers, actors, and autoworkers – deserve a fair share of the value their labor helped create,” the White House said in the statement.
Key Background
Biden has made his pro-union stance a key platform for his reelection campaign as he’s netted early endorsements from some of the country’s largest unions, including the Service Employees International Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The UAW, however, has often expressed concerns about some of Biden’s policies, including his support for electric vehicle production, and has withheld its endorsement. Biden strongly defended the UAW after about 13,000 combined workers at a General Motors plant in Missouri, a Stellantis plant in Ohio and a Ford plant in Michigan went on strike on September 14. About 5,600 additional workers at 38 additional GM and Stellantis facilities in 20 states also joined the strike last week. Biden also expressed support for both the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild of America when the unions announced strikes in May and July, respectively. SAG actors remain on strike.
What To Watch For
Biden is set to visit Michigan on Tuesday to show support for picketing autoworkers, in what is being widely lauded as one the most pro-union actions from a sitting president in history. The visit comes a day before former President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech to union auto workers on Wednesday.
Further Reading
Hollywood Writers And Studios Reach ‘Exceptional’ Tentative Deal To End Strike (Forbes)
Biden Strongly Defends Auto Workers In First Remarks After Strike (Forbes)
‘The White House Is Afraid’: Union President Swipes At Biden Over UAW Strike (Forbes)
