President Joe Biden’s mad dash to force Americans and the automotive industry into electric vehicles (EVs) hit a brick wall of condemnation from the United Auto Workers (UAW).
In a blistering new report, the union charged that the White House agenda moves billions in funds away from U.S. workers and into the deep pockets of multinational corporations. This is due to massive government subsidies to prop up the industry.
Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) earmarked a staggering windfall of some $220 billion to automakers and producers of essential batteries by 2031.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) is going after President Joe Biden's so-called "green energy" agenda for its wage-cutting outcomes. https://t.co/CzH4CEZgC1
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) July 11, 2023
Of course, these funds come straight from taxpayers.
The law gave automakers the chance to reap the benefits of massive subsidies as long as their EVs and batteries are primarily sourced in the U.S. They must also be manufactured domestically, in Canada or Mexico.
The result will be literally hundreds of billions in wealth moving from U.S. taxpayers to multinational firms taking advantage of the administration’s agenda.
And near the end of last month, the Biden administration announced yet another enormous bailout of the struggling industry. Last year’s IRA will shell out yet another $2 billion to support struggling EV operations.
This is an additional outpouring of funds to accelerate Biden’s plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050.
The UAW report noted that new battery cell plants are paying workers about $16.50 per hour with the promise of $20 per hour after seven years on the job. That’s in opposition to workers at existing facilities earning up to $30 per hour.
Meanwhile, the new General Motors Ultium Cells plant in Lordstown, Ohio, is set to harvest $1 billion annually under the new law. That’s with workers making an estimated 45% less than autoworkers in other facilities.
The UAW report declared “we cannot allow a race to the bottom for America’s working families.” It asserted the union supports the transition to a more environmentally-friendly auto industry, but it should not be done on the backs of the workers.
The union is concerned that the enormous EV tax credits will not benefit employees. Instead, they will only “supercharge corporate profits” while workers continue to suffer.
The report cited the possibility that the hundreds of billions being blindly dumped into the EV industry will enrich companies that continue to cut wages and benefits. The UAW is currently withholding its support for Biden’s reelection bid over broken promises to auto workers.
