Kentucky Lantern: Sen. John Fetterman to Detroit Three auto execs: How many yachts do you need?
By ANDREW ROTH
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, on Saturday joined striking autoworkers outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Fetterman said he drove about five hours from Braddock, Pennsylvania, in his UAW-made Ford Bronco to get to the plant.
“I always stand for the union way of life,” Fetterman said. “Whatever the unions say is in their best interest, that’s what I’m going to stand for.”
For the first time in history, the UAW has declared a strike against all three domestic automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The union has three initial strike targets: Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, GM’s Wentzville plant in Missouri and Stellantis’ Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.
The union is fighting for increased wages, a 32-hour work week and better pension benefits, among other issues such as an end to tiered compensation between workers with different lengths of service.