Joe Biden Makes History By Joining Strike 🇺🇲 Learn English with the News

Today you're going to improve.

Your fluency in.

English by reading and listening  to English at the same time.

We're going to read a news article together,  

and this is the best method that  you can use to become fluent fast.

Welcome back to JForrest

English, I'm Jennifer.

Now let's get started.

1st.

I'll read the headline Biden makes.

History by.

Joining striking auto workers on the picket line.

These are the striking workers.

So striking.

Are on.

Strike to be.

On strike to be on strike.

This is when workers.

Refuse to work.

And this is because there's an argument with  the employer, and it's about working conditions.

Pay levels or job losses?

So they refuse.

To work and they do that officially  by saying we're going on strike.

So they already went on strike, so  now we can say they are on strike.

So that's the.

Striking auto.

Workers, the workers who are.

Refusing to work because of conditions.

Now the picket line.

Notice for pronunciation.

It's picket pick.

It and then say it combined.

Pick it.

Picket Picket Picket line.

The picket line that just represents the.

They protest.

Well, you can see it visibly.

They'll have signs.

They'll be shouting don't work, pay  us more money or whatever the issue.

So they're.

Protesting and.

Specific to workers.

Who are striking?

We refer to that as.

A picket line.

And as you can see, this is President Joe Biden.

And he is.

With the workers, so we.

Can say he has joined the picket line.

Now, don't worry about writing  all these notes down because I  

summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.

You can look in the description  for the link to download that.

Let's continue.

President Joe Biden made.

History today.

When he visited A picket line.

Now we know.

What this is?

A picket line in Michigan in a.

Show of loyalty to auto workers who are.

Striking for higher wages and cost  of living increases, so now we know.

Why the workers?

Are on strike.

They're on.

Strike because.

They want.

Higher wages, so wages is of course.

The money that they are paid, they  want to be paid more money they want.

Higher wages.

And they want cost of living increases.

This is where your.

Salary is increased.

By let's say.

The fact that every year food.

Becomes more expensive.

Gas becomes more expensive.

All of your daily.

Costs become more expensive, so  you're not actually making more money.

For this cost of.

Living increase.

Because all of your expenses are  higher, so if you receive a specific.

Percentage increase, one.

To 3%.

It's so your.

Salary remains the same given the.

Cost of.

Living increases.

I wrote these notes for you.

Now let's continue.

Biden is looking to.

Polish his pro.

Labor persona.

First, let's take a look at  Polish, the verb to Polish.

Is when you take something, usually silver and.

You rub.

It and then it goes from dull.

To very.

Shiny and sparkly.

So dirty to.

Polish.

So you can Polish rings in the.

Past people Polish their silver.

And their dishes.

Now, we don't commonly use silverware.

Or that style of dishes.

So the expression is to Polish one's image.

So the same thing.

You take your image of yourself  and you make it seem better.

You improve it, you make it more.

Attractive just.

Like, I can Polish this ring and it will  go from dull to very shiny and attractive.

So you can do that with a person  as well, and that's normally done.

With public figures.

An actor?

A company executive.

Or a.

Their image become more attractive now.

Here they didn't use the word image they used.

The word.

This is.

Someone's image, but in a particular situation.

For example, you might have a persona at.

At work, you're very serious.

But with your friends, you're very.

Casual.

And you like telling a lot of.

Jokes, but at work you act.

Very differently.

So it's.

How you behave?

How you act in specific situations.

That's one's persona, and I'm sure  you can imagine that politicians.

Specifically have very specific ways.

They act in situations and  that would be their persona.

So that's.

Why they used Polish, his pro labor?

Persona So this is his image  of himself as someone who?

Supports labor issues.

Like the striking.

Auto workers.

Biden is looking to.

Polish his pro labor.

Persona as he becomes the.

Okay and this is.

Why previously?

It said.

He made history and he made.

History because he's the.

First sitting President.

To appear.

On a picket line, Now what?

Is a.

Sitting president well.

A sitting president is a president  who is currently in power.

Because past.

Presidents, They still maintain  the title of president.

We still call.

Donald Trump, President Donald Trump.

But he's not the current president,  so to avoid confusion, he's.

The first.

Sitting president.

So the president that is currently acting as  president, so that's the sitting president.

And that's how he made history.

Are you enjoying this lesson?

If you are, then I want to tell you  about the Finally Fluent Academy.

This is my premium training program where  we study native English speakers from TV,  

the movies, YouTube and the news so you can  improve your listening skills of fast English,  

expand your vocabulary with  natural expressions and.

Learn advanced grammar easily.

Plus, you'll have me as your personal coach.

You can look in the description for  the link to learn more or you can go  

to my website and click on Finally Fluent Academy.

Now let's.

Continue with our lesson.

The United Auto.

Workers strike.

Against the big three auto  companies, so the United.

Auto workers that would be the.

Union that represents.

All of these workers.

So it's their.

Strike against.

The big.

Three auto companies.

So in North America, the big  three auto companies are.

General Motors, Ford.

And Chrysler maker Stalantis.

So I guess.

The parent company of.

Chrysler is.

Before of.

Course, I know Chrysler,  but I did not know the name.

Stalantis has entered its 11th day.

So they've been on strike.

Auto workers strike here Strike.

Is a noun, so strike can be used as a noun.

Our strike.

Their strike.

The strike.

And it can be.

Used as a verb.

Now let's.

Go see how it can.

Be used as a?

Verb because.

There are two common ways to be on strike.

Which we talked.

About and to go on strike, which I  briefly mentioned, but here's an example.

The workers have.

Been on strike.

Perfect because it.

Started in the past and it continues until now.

So the verb is be.

Have been on strike, to be on strike.

Now we.

Used to.

Go on strike to talk about the  transition from not on strike,  

so working for the company to on  strike, so not working any longer.

So the workers.

Went on strike 11 days ago.

That's when the strike began.

The workers went on strike  because wind is the past.

Simple.

Of the verb go.

So 2 common ways and remember it can.

Also be used.

As a noun, let's continue in traveling  to Wayne County at the invitation of the.

UAW, this is.

United Auto Workers.

Is the group of workers who.

Are on strike.

The UAW.

President Sean Feign.

Biden is positioning himself squarely  on the side of striking workers.

So here if.

Biden is positioning himself on  the side of striking workers.

It means that Biden is siding.

With the workers.

He's taking their side.

He's supporting them.

Now notice this positioning himself.

So he's.

Positioning himself firmly on the side of  striking workers, it just makes it sound stronger.

That's.

Why they used?

Expression is to position oneself on the.

Side of.

And then another.

Could say it.

Biden is siding with.

So the verb is side to side with.

Someone or Biden is supporting.

Now you support someone.

Biden is supporting the workers.

Those are two.

Alternatives you could.

Use here.

After the white.

House spent weeks quietly seeing  whether it could play a more neutral  

role in mediating the dispute  between labor and management.

Okay, let's look.

At mediating to mediate.

The verb.

Here is to mediate and that's when.

You.

Help solve a.

That by.

Communicating.

With the parties.

Involved and help those.

Parties reach.

A solution.

Now the person who does.

Mediator so A.

And then to mediate, that's the verb form.

So previously, the White House.

Spent weeks quietly seeing whether  it could play a more neutral role.

So it sounds like the White House,  

which includes the President Joe Biden,  was going to take a more neutral role.

But now Biden has not taken a neutral role.

Because he has.

Positioned himself squarely on  the side of striking workers.

So now Biden could not act as the mediator.

Because he has.

Taken a side and a mediator  would have to be neutral.

Mediate the dispute.

This is just another word for  conflict between labor and management.

Let's continue Biden's appearance.

Also reflects the political reality of.

The moment as he runs for a second term, so  second term as president, he needs to win.

Rust Belt states.

Like Michigan.

And can.

Ill afford.

To alienate workers and their  families by aligning himself.

With well paid corporate executives.

OK, so he.

Needs to win certain states like Michigan.

To be honest, I'm not sure.

What a Rust Belt is.

Obviously it's.

Describing the state in a.

Specific way but.

We can just ignore that he needs to  win states like Miss Michigan and can.

Ill afford to.

This is another way of simply saying he can't.

Afford to he.

Can't afford to, he can't afford to alienate.

Workers.

If you alienate someone, it  means that you make them.

Feel like they.

Or you don't relate to them in any way.

You make them feel very different.

And.

Obviously, if they feel that way.

They're not going to vote for him as president,  

so he can't afford to alienate  workers and their families.

And how would he alienate?

These workers make.

They're different.

Or make them feel.

He could alienate them if he aligned himself.

With well paid corporate executives.

Now he would align himself with the.

Well, in this.

Case It's the auto workers.

These are the workers that Biden.

And the executives.

Are the.

The CEO.

'S and the executive members at these  auto companies, GM, Ford and Chrysler.

So he.

Doesn't want to align himself.

With the CEO.

Of GM, Ford and Chrysler.

He wants to align himself.

With the workers.

And their families.

He doesn't want to alienate  these workers to make the.

Workers feel like.

Well.

They don't belong with the president.

They don't.

The president doesn't understand their needs.

I wrote those notes for you.

Now let's continue.

Biden's likely opponent in the 2024 general  election seems to have made a similar calculation.

So the calculation will just  think as a math calculation.

But in this case it's a.

Decide how you're going to.

Behave what you're.

Going to do in order to maximize  your potential of winning and he.

With the workers.

And their families rather than.

With the corporate executives.

So that's how we calculated that.

So that's the.

Address UAW.

Workers in Michigan on Wednesday.

So Biden is supporting the workers on the  picket line, and Biden's opponent in 2024 will.

Likely be former.

President Donald Trump and Donald Trump.

Will also be.

Supporting those workers.

Well, at least he's due to address the workers so.

At this point he hasn't formally supported them,  

but he's going to address them,  which means he's going to.

Speak directly to.

Them and most.

Likely he.

Will say something positive,  but that hasn't happened yet.

So that.

Is just my speculation at this point.

Presidents often like to preserve  space for themselves in such standoffs.

A standoff is when you have.

One group here, one group or even one person,  

and then one group or one person here  and they can't reach an agreement.

So.

They're they're unable to come together  and that's why it's a standoff,  

because one hits here, one  is here, and they won't come.

Together, so that's.

A standoff?

Here's a more everyday example.

My wife and I are at a standoff.

Notice here the expression.

Is to be.

At a standoff.

My wife and I are at a standoff.

I want to accept the promotion in  Germany, but she wants to stay in France.

So here's the.

Man's position.

And this is the woman's position.

And they're not willing to compromise.

They're not willing to change their positions.

So they're just staying in their positions.

They're at a standoff.

And you can describe this  entire thing as the standoff.

So this standoff here.

Presidents often like to preserve  space for themselves in such standoffs.

So that both.

Sides will consider them a fair broker.

This is a very complicated way  of simply saying presidents  

often like to remain neutral to  preserve space for themselves.

It just means they don't generally.

Take sides.

They like to remain neutral so they  can act more as a mediator, A mediator.

Remember, we learned that before.

A mediator, someone who solves the conflict  

by bringing the parties together  and by helping them communicate.

So this is what?

Presidents generally do, but that's.

Not what President Joe Biden did.

Biden also worried about intervening too  directly in a strike whose economic cost has.

Already exceeded.

$1.6 billion.

So this.

Is this strike has only been on for 11.

Days, I believe.

Was in the article 11 days  and the economic cost has.

Already exceeded.

$1.6 billion.

So obviously.

It's in the president's interest.

To.

Resolve the conflict, and that's  generally why they like to remain neutral.

Now here, when you intervene in something,  it means you involve yourself in something.

So here's the.

Verb to intervene again, to intentionally become  

involved intentionally means you  say I want to become involved.

You decide.

To intentionally become involved  in a difficult situation, and you  

do that because you want to improve  it or prevent it from getting worse.

Now you can use this again  in a more everyday context.

For example, the kids have been fighting all day.

We should probably.

Intervene so you could say this.

To your husband or wife, we should.

Probably intervene.

We should probably involve ourselves in this  difficult situation so we can improve it,  

or at least prevent it from getting worse,  so you can intervene in specific conflicts.

And remember, you intentionally do that.

Biden also worried about.

Intervening too directly in a strike.

So here, notice this is the noun form.

You know it's a noun because  there's an article here in a  

strike whose economic cost has already exceeded.

$1.6 billion Now obviously this was.

In the past, he worried about it, but.

This didn't prevent him because he did  intervene and he sided with the auto workers.

And he did that because he didn't want to alienate  them and he calculated that he needs their vote.

And their family's vote as well to.

Run in the next presidential election.

So that's the end of our article.

What I'll do now is I'll read the.

Article from start to finish, and this  time you can focus on my pronunciation.

Biden makes history by joining striking  auto workers on the picket line.

President Joe Biden made history today.

When he visited a picket.

Line in Michigan in a show of  loyalty to auto workers who are.

Striking for higher wages  and cost of living increases.

Biden is looking to Polish his pro.

Labor persona as he becomes the first  sitting president to appear on a picket line.

The United Auto Workers  strike against the Big Three.

Auto companies, General Motors, Ford.

And Chrysler maker Stalantis has entered its 11th  

day in traveling to Wayne County at  the invitation of the UAW president.

Sean Fein Biden is positioning himself squarely on  

the side of striking workers  after the White House spent.

Weeks quietly seeing whether  it could play a more neutral  

role in mediating the dispute  between labor and management.

Biden's appearance also reflects  the political reality of.

The moment.

As he runs for a second term, he  needs to win Rust Belt states.

Like Michigan and can ill afford  to alienate workers and their  

families by aligning himself with  well paid corporate executives.

Biden's likely opponent in the 2024 general  election seems to have made a similar calculation.

Donald Trump is due to address UAW.

Workers in Michigan on Wednesday.

Presidents often like to preserve space.

For themselves in such standoffs, so that both.

Sides will consider them a fair broker.

Biden also worried about intervening too directly  

in a strike whose economic cost  has already exceeded $1.6 billion.

Did you enjoy this lesson?

Do you want me to make more  lessons just like this?

If so, put.

Yes, yes, yes.

In the comments below, put.

Yes, yes, yes.

And I know you want more lessons.

And you can get this free speaking  guide where I share 6 tips on how  

to speak English fluently and confidently.

You can click here to download it or  look for the link in the description.

And I recommend you watch this lesson.

Right.

Now I know.

You'll love it.