The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued a report on Sept. 1 that accuses the United Auto Workers (UAW) leadership of prioritizing political objectives over the well-being of its members in what it says is the UAW's failure to oppose Biden Administration rules to shift auto manufacturing from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles.
"The United Auto Workers (UAW) has considerable political influence," a summary point at the top of the report says. "However, UAW leadership has not used their influence to fight EV mandates. Instead, UAW leadership has endorsed many of the politicians and policies that are eliminating their members’ jobs," says the report, which is credited to James Sherk, Jacob Sagert, and Matthew Lobel. "Many UAW members feel betrayed by their union. UAW leadership has put their political loyalties ahead of their members’ livelihoods."
"The Biden Administration has proposed regulations that would force most Americans to buy electric vehicles (EVs)," the report says. "EVs require significantly fewer parts and labor to produce than gas-powered vehicles. As a result, these regulations are projected to eliminate 117,000 net auto manufacturing jobs nationwide," the AFPI report says.
The proposed Biden administration regulations would cause a significant shift in the auto industry's production towards electric vehicles, the report says. EVs necessitate fewer assembly workers compared to traditional vehicles, raising concerns about substantial job reductions in the auto manufacturing workforce.
"If EV sales rise to two-thirds of the market—the proposed new requirement—then 117,000 existing auto-manufacturing jobs will be eliminated," the report says.
Critics, including AFPI, contend that the UAW's endorsement of the Biden Administration's regulations and its support for policies endorsing electric vehicles implies a divergence from its responsibility to protect members' livelihoods. UAW members, echoing concerns expressed by AFPI, assert that the union's leadership should be more proactive in addressing the impending job losses resulting from the shift towards EV production. "UAW leadership has put their political goals ahead of their members' jobs," the AFPI says.
AFPI said the UAW is focused on the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. While the PRO Act aims to strengthen the union institutionally by streamlining the process of organizing new members and enhancing union revenues, AFPI argues that it fails to directly address the immediate job security concerns faced by UAW members in the auto manufacturing sector due to the anticipated EV transition.
