United States President Joe Biden joined a group of labour union members – auto workers who were on strike – on a picket line in Michigan on Tuesday.

American analysts describe the solidarity visit as an extraordinary gesture of support to a labour union by a sitting American president.

Clad in a baseball sweater, zip-up sweater, and brown shoes, the president took the opportunity to address the General Motors workers picketing at a distribution centre just west of Detroit in Belleville, Mich. 

He declared through a bullhorn, “Unions built the middle class. It’s a fact!” 

Mr Biden acknowledged the sacrifices made by the workers during their companies’ troubled times and emphasised that they should be reaping the benefits of their current success.

“Now they’re doing incredibly well. And guess what: You should be doing incredibly well, too,” he said.

The president urged the striking workers to “stick with it” as they continue to fight for better pay and benefits.

He wrapped his arm around one of the picketers while the union’s president, Shawn Fain, commended him for being the first sitting president to join a picket line. A chorus of gratitude resonated from the workers as they said, “Thank you!”

During his speech, Mr Fain vehemently criticised the elite and billionaire class. “They may believe they own the world, but it is we who keep it functioning,” he asserted. 

Mr Biden, striving to distinguish his re-election campaign from his self-proclaimed role as “the most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history,” used his brief remarks – his visit lasted a mere 15 minutes – to emphasise his decades-long support for labour causes. He mentioned that he had picketed before, albeit not in his capacity as president.

Regarding the U.A.W. workers’ demands, the White House remained non-committal. But when questioned about whether the workers deserved a 40 per cent wage increase, Mr Biden enthusiastically replied, “Yes,” echoing the sentiments of the picketers.

Before he made his way to the picket line, he was asked what it would take to secure the U.A.W.’s endorsement, to which he responded, “I’m not concerned about that.”