President Joe Biden signed a new executive order focused on government contracts during a trip to the Ann Arbor area Friday.
The “Good Jobs" order aims to ensure federal government agencies prioritize worker-friendly projects. One main change includes the encouragement of agencies to adopt prevailing wage standards.
Referencing the 1931 federal Davis-Bacon Act, Biden said his order would ensure government-supported projects pay wages that workers “can raise a family on.”
“Right now, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage only applies to construction jobs. And construction jobs are booming. My executive order, though, promotes federal polices to raise wages beyond construction, all across the manufacturing sector,” Biden said during an event for the order-signing Friday.
The executive order also asks agencies to prioritize projects that offer benefits like health care for children and dependents, paid leaves, and retirement.
Biden pointed to another part of the order that creates a new task force to help oversee the creation of policies resulting from the order.
“Economists have long believed that these good job standards produce more opportunities and better outcomes for workers and more predictable outcomes for businesses as well. It turns out to be a win-win situation for everyone, including business,” Biden said.
Republicans responded to the visit by attacking Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ record on the economy. That’s as Harris campaigns for president after succeeding Biden as the Democratic nominee.
“Joe's trip to Michigan is another sickening reminder to every Michigander that a Kamala presidency would be another four years of historic inflation, high prices, and lost jobs to electric vehicles,” part of a statement from Michigan Republican Party spokesperson Victoria LaCivita read.
Friday’s event took place at a local plumbers and pipefitters union training center.
Speeches from guests, including a plumbing and pipefitting apprentice, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, and U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, had overwhelmingly pro-union slants.
At multiple points Biden discussed how he saw the new executive order benefiting union workers.
“It’ll promote policies to create more registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships and other job training programs that don’t require a college degree. It’ll put young people on a pathway to getting the skills for good paying union jobs,” Biden said.
All this comes as both Democrats and Republicans are courting union-member votes during this presidential election cycle.
The UAW has already endorsed Harris for president. But the leader of The Teamsters spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this year and is reportedly meeting with Harris later this month.
Meanwhile the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, frequently makes overtures to autoworkers during his Michigan campaign stops.
As Biden spoke Friday, demonstrators protested about 1.5 miles away. They came to criticize Biden's backing of Israel in its war on Hamas.
Salma Hamamy is with a University of Michigan student group, the Tahrir Coalition. Hamamy said she believes Biden isn't interested in ending the conflict, even though his administration has pressured both sides to reach a cease fire deal numerous times.
"Our primary message is not just to advocate for a cease fire which is long overdue but to also establish an arms embargo where the United States no longer supplies Israel with weaponry," Hamamy said.
The weapons shipments show Biden is not serious about wanting an end to the war, said Hamamy.
International observers say far too many civilians are dying due to Israel's military actions in Gaza.
The protest was held about a mile and a half from the site of Biden's speech, due to the U.S. Secret Service controlling access to the area.
