The strike begun by the United Auto Workers last week expanded to 38 parts-distribution centers across a dozen states as the union demands higher wages as well as “economic and social justice.”

Around 13,000 auto workers had already stopped working at Ford, Stellantis and General Motors plants in Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio before additional GM and Stellantis facilities were added to the strike. No further Ford locations were impacted by the expanded strike as the UAW said it had made progress with company executives. 

“We’ve made some real progress at Ford,” UAW President Shawn Fain said. “We still have serious issues to work through, but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they are serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story.”

Stellantis facilities are striking in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, California, Oregon, Texas, West Virginia, Georgia, Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts. 

GM facilities are striking in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, California, Texas, West Virginia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. 

“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary,” GM said in a statement. “The UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.”

Stellantis said that it had offered to pay current full time hourly employees between $80,000-$96,000 within the next five years. 

The UAW is pushing for a 36% pay bump over a four-year period for workers. Ford and GM said they could do 20%, and Stellantis put forth a 17.5% increase over four years, according to the Associated Press. Other demands by the union are a 32-hour work week with pay for 40 hours, pensions for new employees, and inflation-based pay bumps.

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President Joe Biden said that he would go to Michigan on Tuesday to support the workers on strike. 

“Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create,” he posted to X. “It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.”

Biden will likely not be welcome by all workers, many of whom blame him for pushing massive subsidies toward electric vehicles and pushing a “transition” away from traditional gas-powered cars. 

Former President Donald Trump is also set to make an appearance in Michigan, opting to give a speech to the workers as opposed to participating in the Republican presidential debate. 

 “I’m on the side of making our country great,” Trump said when asked during an interview about the strike. “The auto workers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump.”

In a surprise move, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed a bill that would have allowed judges to consider whether a parent “affirms” a child’s “gender identity” among other factors during custody battles. 

In his veto message, Newsom said that the bill might be used to limit the “civil rights of vulnerable minorities,” saying that judges in California were already supposed to look at parental “affirmation” during determinations of child safety. The bill had drawn backlash from advocates who said that parents could lose custody of a child if they don’t agree with a child’s claims to be transgender. 

“I appreciate the passion and values that led the author to introduce this bill. I share a deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians, an effort that has guided my decisions through many decades in public office,” he said. 

“That said, I urge caution when the Executive and Legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate — in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic — legal standards for the Judicial branch to apply,” Newsom wrote. “Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.”

“Moreover, a court, under existing law, is required to consider a child’s health, safety, and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in these proceedings, including the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity,” he added. 

According to the bill, which was proposed by Democrat Assemblymember Lori Wilson, “the health, safety, and welfare of the child includes, among other comprehensive factors, a parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity or gender expression. Affirmation includes a range of actions and will be unique for each child, but in every case must promote the child’s overall health and well-being.”

Republicans and conservative groups, who opposed the bill, said that it would have eroded parents’ rights and could be easily manipulated for one parent to gain custody of a child over the other.

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Wilson said that she was “extremely” disappointed with Newsom’s decision, saying that he had previously been a “champion for the LGBTQ community.”

“My intent with this bill was to give them a voice, particularly in the family court system where a non-affirming parent could have a detrimental impact on the mental health and well-being of a child,” she posted on X. 

Newsom has been a proponent of radical gender theory throughout his time at office, and has previously signed a bill that makes California a “refuge” for parents who want their children to undergo sex-change procedures, including life-altering surgeries and hormone treatments. 

He also signed a bill into law that allows men to be placed in women’s prisons if they identify as a woman.