Americans from all walks of life are demanding better from U.S. auto manufacturers—including improved working conditions, cleaner vehicles, and safer, pollution-free communities. These demands have come into focus this year as unionized workers fight for a fair shake from several automotive employers, including Ford Motor Co., Stellantis, and General Motors Co. (GM), that are benefiting from federal infusions of cash, and public interest advocates are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up pollution from vehicles to save lives and fight climate change.
Despite skyrocketing profits, automakers are attempting to weaken proposed pollution standards and are opposing the better conditions that workers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union are seeking. This seemingly “we can’t do it” attitude has the potential to pose a significant threat to the health of millions of Americans, the livelihood of autoworkers, the growth of the middle class, and the strength of the U.S. economy. With automakers benefiting from the Biden administration’s historic investments in electric vehicles (EVs) and transportation infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act, they should instead reinvest in their workers and recommit to reduce the pollution from their vehicles.
The above excerpt was originally published in the Center for American Progress.
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