Senator Peters’ Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address:

“Tonight, President Biden laid out a strong vision for the future of our country. He called for lawmakers to come together and deliver for the American people – from standing with unions as they fight for the future of the middle class, to securing our borders, to protecting reproductive rights, to combatting climate change, and supporting our allies across the world as they strive for peace and security.

“Perhaps most importantly, President Biden highlighted how we can lower costs for middle class families, create good-paying jobs, and keep fighting for hardworking Americans everywhere. He spoke about the historic contract that the UAW won this past fall – an agreement that will give their members better benefits and a record pay increase. I was proud to stand with the UAW on the picket lines as they fought for that contract. And tonight, I was honored to celebrate those hard-fought victories alongside LaShawn English – a longtime UAW leader and fierce advocate for working women in Michigan.

“The President’s message tonight was clear. We must put politics aside, come together, and find solutions to the challenges our constituents are facing. I’ll keep fighting for Michigan every step of the way.”

Peters’ guest for the State of the Union was UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English. Since joining the UAW in 1999, she has held a number of key leadership positions, and currently represents over 150,000 active and retired union members. Peters has been a consistent supporter of UAW workers and has long fought to protect every American’s right to collectively bargain. He grew up in a union household, where his mother was a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) steward, and his father was a member of the National Education Association (NEA).

Michigan is home to the most autoworkers in the United States, and UAW represents around 70,000 autoworkers in Michigan. The auto industry directly and indirectly employs 1.1 million workers in Michigan, or about 20 percent of the state’s workforce.

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