Fox host: Auto workers strike is just “four or five guys in shorts”

Charles Payne also lies about the pay for striking workers

Written by Eric Kleefeld

Published

Fox News has been promoting a pro-management line on the United Auto Workers strike against General Motors. After first warning that the auto companies could get “squeezed” by the demands of a well-paid workforce, on Tuesday, Fox figures rolled out a new angle: There are barely any strikers at all.

Fox Business host Charles Payne appeared on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom to discuss the financial pressures on both the company and the union: “Well, it's a battle of wills, right?” he said. “The GM losing $100 million a day and striking workers making 200 bucks a day. Who can hold out the longest?” In fact, the UAW’s strike pay is only $250 per week — as acknowledged on Fox Business’ own website — only slightly above the federal poverty line on an annualized basis, and even below the minimum wage.

Payne then declared that the strike would be “really a tough one for the UAW leadership to continue to get its workers riled up about.”

“Listen, let's be honest. We've seen videos in front of these plants and — four or five guys in shorts. Look at this. I mean, that's not — that's probably a plant that has thousands of workers. You know, this is not like a strike, or you know, the kind of historic strikes that we've known or used to be accustomed to. And it's going to be a tough one.”

Fox News’s allegedly “hard news” co-anchor Bill Hemmer agreed with Payne, adding: “You’re not wrong.”

But even just a quick search on Twitter would’ve shown these supposed journalists videos and photos from local reporters of some genuine picket lines:

From the September 17 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom

SANDRA SMITH (CO-ANCHOR): GM workers on the picket line for a second straight day. And now, reports the strike could cost General Motors $100 million a day. Charles Payne, host of Making Money over on FBN, is here. What does it all mean, Charles?

CHARLES PAYNE (HOST, MAKING MONEY): Well, it's a battle of wills, right? The GM losing $100 million a day and striking workers making 200 bucks a day. Who can hold out the longest? You know, this is, I think, really a tough one for the UAW leadership to continue to get its workers riled up about. I mean, listen, let's be honest. We've seen videos in front of these plants and — four or five guys in shorts. Look at this. I mean, that's not — that's probably a plant that has thousands of workers. You know, this is not like a strike or you know, the kind of historic strikes that we've known or used to be accustomed to. And it's going to be a tough one.

BILL HEMMER (CO-ANCHOR): Four or five guys in shorts?

PAYNE. Yeah.

HEMMER: You're not wrong.

PAYNE: And it's like —

HEMMER: I think $100 million a day is high, by the way.

PAYNE: It is. I think it's high, too.

HEMMER: Their inventory is enormous.

PAYNE: The inventories are enormous. I mean, we were talking about peak auto a month ago, like all these cars in inventory. Now all of a sudden, they're going to lose $100 million a day. I think the UAW is going to have a hard time getting its membership to go along. “Hey, don't take the $8,000 bonus, don't take the other things that have sweetened the pot.”