President Biden is planning to meet with the head of the United Automobile Workers in Belvidere, Ill., on Thursday to celebrate the reopening of an assembly plant and promote a landmark labor deal with Detroit’s Big Three automakers. The visit to the Stellantis plant comes as the company plans to invest $4.8 billion to build a parts distribution center and an electric vehicle battery factory, as part of the agreement struck between automakers and the union last month. The deal will bring back all 1,200 jobs that were lost with the idling of the assembly plant and add an estimated 1,000 new union jobs. The trip is seen as an opportunity for Biden to gain union support and draw a contrast with his predecessor, Donald J. Trump.
Both Biden and Trump have been working to woo union voters, particularly in swing states. In September, both made visits to autoworkers in Michigan during a strike for higher wages, with differing messages on the value of unions. Biden made history by becoming the first president to appear on a picket line to support striking workers. The meeting with the U.A.W. head is part of Biden’s efforts to court the labor leader and secure the union’s endorsement.
Gene Sperling, Biden’s liaison to the U.A.W. and the auto industry, called the plant opening a “huge victory” for autoworkers and highlighted Biden’s long-held vision of retooling and reinvesting in impacted communities. Over the next four and a half years, the U.A.W. aims to organize nonunion plants and push for retirement benefits. Mr. Fain, the U.A.W. head, expressed his determination to organize non-unionized plants, stating that many workers are reaching out for support.
The Belvidere plant, opened by Chrysler in 1965, was idled in February but will now be reopened due to the new contract. Stellantis executives will not be participating in Biden’s visit, as the contract has not yet been ratified.