BELVIDERE, Ill. (AP) — President Joe Biden put on a red United Auto Workers shirt on Thursday as he celebrated a labor deal that will reopen the Stellantis plant in Belvidere, Illinois, treating the factory's salvation as a vindication of his decision to stand with striking union members as they demanded higher wages.

“American workers are ready to work harder than anyone else," Biden told cheering autoworkers in a community center in the northern Illinois city. "But they just need to be given a shot. A fair shot and a fair wage.”

  

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.