Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) was met with a frosty reception from Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) during a visit with striking United Auto Workers members at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio on Friday.
As the strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis nears its third week and expanded recently, the Republican from Ohio showed his support for striking auto workers. In a clip that was captured by local news, Vance approached Kaptur, who was speaking to the media, and extended a handshake, to which the Democrat offered a fist bump.
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When J.D. Met Marcy
Senator Vance and Rep. Kaptur both showed up to the picket line at the Toledo Assembly Complex this morning. pic.twitter.com/dc7xS0vMAq
— 13 Action News (@13abc) October 6, 2023
“Nice to see you, Marcy,” Vance said while laughing at the awkward exchange. “First time here?” Kaptur asked, to which Vance replied, “First time here, yeah.” The Democrat thanked Vance for coming out.
Vance said this week that his busy schedule in Washington, D.C., has prevented him from visiting the picket lines sooner, adding that the Senate recess in October presented the opportunity to show his support. On Wednesday, he told 13 Action News that he’d like to gain a better understanding of where negotiations between autoworkers and Detroit’s three automakers stand.
“My sense is that they’re still pretty deadlocked,” Vance said before his visit. “I think it’s a terrible thing for the country to have the workers and the company as such as I really want to encourage people to come to some agreement here, but I don’t think there’s any pathway to peace between management and labor unless the workers get higher wages.”
His appearance on Friday marked his first trip to the picket lines. Kaptur and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have previously visited striking autoworkers in Toledo.
Vance is among a small subset of Republicans who have visited strikers, following Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) trip this week and former President Donald Trump’s appearance last week. Following his stop, Vance said he was proud to support them and encourage better wages for the workers.
“This isn’t about politics. For many years, the autoworkers took it on the chin to enable the industry to retool, reinvest, and thrive,” Vance said. “Today, the industry is doing well, and the workers should get a slice of the pie.”
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During his visit, Vance said he spoke to multiple strikers who expressed financial concerns and fear the industry’s transition toward more electric vehicles could threaten their jobs.
“One guy [a father of 3] told me that he worked 60-hour weeks [sometimes more] and couldn’t afford baseball camp for one of his boys,” Vance said. “Many people told me that they’re regularly threatened with ‘we can always just move your job to Mexico.’ A few workers expressed worry that the push to electrify the industry would hasten the day when they wouldn’t have a job.”
