>>> JOE BIDEN MAKING HISTORY BECOMING THE FIRST SITTING PRESIDENT TO APPEAR ON THE PICKET LINES.

JOINING THE STRIKING AUTOWORKERS IN MICHIGAN IN HIS SIGN OF SUPPORT.

>> WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE MIDDLE CLASS , THAT'S A FACT.

YOU HAVE EARNED MORE THAN YOU ARE GETTING PAID.

>> THOUSANDS OF UNITED AUTOWORKERS STRIKING AGAINST THE BIG THREE AUTO COMPANIES INCLUDING EMPLOYEES IN THE CHICAGO AREA.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE LOCAL IMPACT OF THE STRIKE IS THE COPRESIDENT OF THE CHICAGO AUTO BILL TRADE ASSOCIATION WHICH REPRESENTS THE AUTO DEALERS AND CHRIS PENA THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL 551 REPRESENTING FORD MOTOR COMPANY WORKERS AT THE CHICAGO ASSEMBLY PLANT IN THE SOUTH SIDE.

WE INVITED REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THREE COMPANIES BUT NONE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

CHRIS, AS WE SAW THE PRESIDENT VISITING THE UAW MEMBERS ON THE PICKET LINE HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE STRIKING WORKERS?

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME FIRST AND FOREMOST.

THE WAY THAT JOE BIDEN IMPACTS THE STRIKERS ON THE LINE IS IT IS A MORALE BOOSTER.

IT GIVES HOPE THAT WE WILL REACH A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT FASTER WITH THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.

>> DAVE SLOAN HE REPRESENT DEALERS, DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENTS MOVE SIGNALS AUTO MANUFACTURERS SHOULD MAKE A DEAL?

>> I KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEMED TO COME OUT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE, NOT SURPRISING BUT HE WANTS THIS TO BE A COMPETITIVE DEAL SO THEY COULD ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF THE INDUSTRY AND THAT THE AUTOWORKERS ARE PAID FAIRLY.

>> CHRIS PENA REMIND US WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR AND WHY?

>> WE ARE ASKING FOR OUR COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE BACK THAT WE GAVE UP DURING THE RECESSION ERA.

HIGHER WAGES WHICH MATCHED THE INFLATION RATE AND PENSIONS FOR ALL.

WE'VE SEEN CONTRACTS AS OF THIS YEAR WITH JOHN DEERE BEING ABLE TO ESTABLISH PENSIONS FOR THEIR NEW MEMBERS.

WE EXPECT THE SAME WITH THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.

>> ARE MECHANICS BEGINNING TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THE STRIKE?

>> THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

THIS HAS LASTED LONGER.

THE MOVE LAST WEEK BY THE UAW TO STRIKE THE DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE MEANS THAT THE STRIKE WOULD BE FELT SOONER BECAUSE THE SERVICE OPERATIONS OF THE DEALERSHIPS WILL BE IMPACTED .

I SPOKE TO A NUMBER OF DEALERS WHO SAID THAT THEY WERE PREPARING FOR THIS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND HAVE STOCKPILED PARTS AND SERVICE OPERATION.

>> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CAR OWNERS ?

IF I NEEDED PARTS?

>> SO FOR EXAMPLE IF I WAS GOING INTO SERVICE, PARTS THAT I NEED FOR THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT THERE TO BE USED, RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN ALL RIGHT SHAPE BUT THIS GOES ON LONGER THAN THERE COULD BE TROUBLE.

>> CHRIS HOW CLOSE WOULD YOU SAY FORWARD IS TO REACHING A DEAL?

>> HOPEFULLY THEY WILL REACH A DEAL THIS WEEK AS WE ARE LOOKING TOWARD THE COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE WHICH WAS AGREED UPON ALREADY TO GIVING THAT BACK.

THE ECONOMIC ISSUES WITH WAGES AND PENSIONS, THE STICKING POINT RIGHT NOW.

LOOKING TO HOPEFULLY COME TO AN AGREEMENT SOMETIMES SOON THAN THE NEGOTIATORS IN DETROIT WILL DILIGENTLY BE AT THE TABLE FOR 24 HOURS OF THE COMPANY AND HOPEFULLY COME TO A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BY FRIDAY BUT THIS HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED.

>> IF HE RATIFIED THE DEAL COULD THIS MEAN YOU COULD POSSIBLY RETURN TO WORK OR THEY COULD BE BACK TO WORK WHILE UAW MEMBERS AND GM AND STELLANTIS WORKERS COULD REMAIN ON THE PICKET LINE OR WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

>> LOCAL 900, THAT'S THE ONLY PLANT IN THE FACILITY RIGHT NOW.

THE ASSEMBLY PLANT THAT IS OUT ON STRIKE .

THE REST ARE THE PARTS PLANTS FOR GM AND STELLANTIS AT TWO ASSEMBLY PLANTS FOR GM AND STELLANTIS.

CHICAGO IS THE ONLY PLANT WILL REBUILD THE AVIATOR, EXPLORE, AND POLICE UNITS.

WE CONTINUE TO WORK BUT WE ARE MOBILIZED, ORGANIZED, AND READY TO STRIKE IF NEED BE IF WE GET THE DIRECTION FROM DETROIT BUT IF WE REACH A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT THEN WE WILL BE BACK AND ALL PLANTS WILL BE OPERATIONAL AGAIN.

WE WILL CONTINUE BUILDING THE VEHICLE THAT DRIVES THE AMERICAN ECONOMY.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE UAW WAS PREPARED TO EXPAND TO OTHER FACILITIES IF IT'S NEEDED .

>> YES IF THERE'S NOT A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED MORE PLANTS ARE MOBILIZED AND READY TO GO.

WE ARE READY TO STRIKE.

OUR DIGNITY HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY SLOWLY.

WE HAVE HAD OUR RIGHTS ERODED AND THE TIME TO STRIKE IS NOW.

WE GAVE UP A LOT DURING THE RECESSION ERA.

THE COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE AND BRINGING IN THIS TIERED SYSTEM BRINGING DIVISION ACROSS WORKERS.

THEY'VE PAID HALF AS MUCH WITH SOME OF THE LEGACY EMPLOYEES AND WE ARE DOING THE SAME JOB .

IT'S NOT RIGHT.

WE WOULD LIKE AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD WHEN IT COMES TO AUTOWORKERS.

THIS IS A HISTORIC CONTRACT WE ARE ASKING FOR.

WE WANT A FAIR CONTRACT AND WE WANT TO SET THE STANDARD FOR THE WORKING CLASS ACROSS THE U.S.

IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT AUTOWORKERS.

IT'S THE WHOLE ECONOMY BRINGING ACROSS THE WORKING CLASS MAKING PRODUCTS MADE IN AMERICA TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY.

>> THERE'S A RECKONING GOING ON.

THE MOVE TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, INVESTMENTS BY MANUFACTURERS .

UPWARDS OF $100 BILLION FROM MANUFACTURERS PUTTING THIS INTO NEW PLANTS, BATTERY PLANTS.

A HUGE INVESTMENT SO THAT'S WHERE PROFITS ARE GOING.

GOING BACK INTO THE PLANTS.

INVESTING IN THIS BIG CHANGEOVER.

THEY HAVE TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH THE NONUNION STARTUPS LIKE TESLA .

SOME OF THE FOREIGN AUTOMAKER PLANTS DOWN SOUTH.

THIS IS ALL ABOUT LONG-TERM COMPETITIVENESS.

>> THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT TO WORK STATES FOR EXAMPLE.

DAVE?

I'M SORRY, CHRIS .

>> DAVE TO THAT POINT I WOULD SAY , DAVE TO YOUR POINT I WOULD SAY THAT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES HELP OUT IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY A LOT .

THIS IS ON THE BACK OF THE TAXPAYERS WHO ARE HELPING THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND IN THE RECESSION ERA THE AUTOWORKERS, THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY GAVE UP THE COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE AND OTHER CONCESSIONS SO THAT THE COMPANY COULD THRIVE AND MAINTAIN OPERATIONS IN THE U.S.

IT WAS GM AND CHRYSLER AT THAT TIME WHICH TOOK THOSE , THE BAILOUT MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC.

THE TAXPAYERS.

THIS IS FOR GM AND CHRYSLER WHICH IS NOW STELLANTIS.

>> THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE SITUATION NOW WHERE THE INVESTMENT GOING INTO THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.

LOOKING AT THE RIBBING PLANT, NONUNION PLANT.

I AM SURPRISED IN A UNION FRIENDLY STATE LIKE IN ILLINOIS, THAT THE UAW HAS A --.

A GREAT PLACE FOR YOU TO GROW.

>> I WANTED TO GET INTO SOME OF THE CONCERNS DEALERS MAY HAVE ABOUT INVENTORY AND PRICE HIKES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THIS HITS THE CONSUMER IF THE PRICES SHOULD HIKE AGAIN.

>> WE SAW THIS DURING COVID 19 AT THE SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE .

OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO THE IMPACT HERE WOULD BE LESS BECAUSE IT'S JUST GM, FORD AND STILL LANTUS STELLANTIS.

WE HAVE THE MODEL YEAR CHANGING OVER SO DEALERS