Senator JD Vance of Ohio has called on the striking United Auto Workers (UAW) to demand an end to the Biden administration’s subsidies for the electric vehicle (EV) industry. In an op-ed for the Toledo Blade, Vance expressed his frustration with the pro-EV policies, attributing them to revenue losses in the electric vehicle production of two major automakers affected by the strike. Vance argued that these losses have resulted in lower wages for employees, reduced job opportunities in the auto industry, and higher prices for consumers.
Vance highlighted the grim reality of the industry’s future in Northeast Ohio, pointing to the Lordstown Assembly Complex, once a hub for car assembly that now stands as a battery plant employing fewer workers at lower wages. He also referenced Lordstown Motors, an electric truck startup that filed for bankruptcy in June.
The senator’s argument aligns with former President Trump’s stance on the matter, emphasizing that the shift to electric vehicles will undermine union leverage due to the reliance on nonunion labor in global EV supply chains.
Vance urged the UAW leadership to use their leverage and pressure the Biden administration to stop subsidizing an industry that benefits China more than American workers. He stated his support for any agreement between the UAW and the major automakers that prioritizes higher wages, job security, and a brighter future for autoworkers.
These remarks come in the midst of the UAW’s strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, where they are demanding higher wages, shorter work weeks, union representation for battery plant workers, and improved retirement benefits.
President Biden has called on automakers to increase their offers to the union, but Vance believes that the administration’s support for the EV industry is detrimental to American workers and should be questioned.
Source: The Hill