Maryland U.S. Senate candidate Will Jawando gives auto workers "full support" as strike spreads to Maryland, Kentucky

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large), a candidate for the Maryland U.S. Senate seat of the retiring Senator Ben Cardin (D), has issued a statement supporting auto workers as the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike expands to plants in Maryland and Kentucky. Workers at the Mack Trucks facility in Hagerstown, Maryland have walked off the job, and UAW members did the same at a key Ford truck manufacturing plant in Louisville, Kentucky yesterday. The strike is now in its fourth week, as America's three largest auto manufacturers continue to resist meeting union demands, despite earning massive profits through price gouging since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.

"Maryland’s autoworkers are joining their brothers and sisters at the UAW and rejecting an unfair deal," Jawando said in his statement. "They have my full support, and I’m proud of their efforts. 

"We’re seeing what a strong labor movement looks like -- and what it can accomplish. From teachers to nurses, writers, custodians, and hotel employees, workers are showing the power of solidarity. They’ve secured better wages and benefits, protections against discrimination, and more.

"Labor and unions need our support, now more than ever. While CEOs are bringing in record profits, workers are feeling the pressure of rising costs and stagnant wages. Fixing that imbalance isn’t just good policy: it’s a moral need. 

"On the County Council, I’ve made economic justice a priority and fought for better wages and a fairer tax code. We need an advocate for those issues in the US Senate, and that’s why I’m in this race.

"I stand with the labor movement fighting for better conditions for working people. I think the rich have enough representation in our government."