Was that the Immaculate Commendation that just happened to happen . It said donald trump awards spouting this combination. I thought it was really pathetic to sit there and listen to that dribble, it is totally false. Immaculate commendation. Thats when it does not roll off the tongue, thank you for joining us tonight, prime time with Abby Phillips starts right now, i dont think that would ever be what was said in the middle of this 2024 race. Gloves are apparently really off between those two, well see where this one goes, thank you, katelyn. Good evening, im abby philip, we begin with Breaking News that will have a massive impact on the entire United States economy. In less than two hours, workers across the nation are scheduled to go on strike against the Big Three Automakers. It is the first ever simultaneous strike of ford, General Motors and stolantis in moments we are expecting to hear from the president of the United Auto Workers union about the next steps. Here is what is at stake for you, 145 union members, and an Economic Impact of 5 billion. The union is demanding nearly 40 pay increases, better benefits, and a four day work week. Among the players in this saga is sean fain, the uaw president who has been pretty unpredictable in talks so far, and also the ceos of these companies who say that the demands will put them out of business. Also, there, is the president himself, President Biden, under pressure economically and politically tonight. First, lets start with cnn business correspondent, who is live from outside of the uaw headquarters in detroit. Vanessa, less than two hours until this contract is expected to expire. Where do things stand in these negotiations right now . Listen, abby, deals have come together in the last moments, but two hours is not a lot of time to come to an agreement. As you mentioned, we are waiting moments away from uaw president shawn fain to announce exactly where the uaw plans to strike, starting at 12 00 a. M. On friday, tomorrow. Hes going to go live from inside this uaw headquarters. In terms of what the offers have been, General Motors came with a new economic proposal earlier this morning, a 20 pay raise across four years that matches fords a 20 offer, and stellantis was at 17 1 2 in their last public offer. As you mentioned, that is nowhere close to the 40 that the union has been looking for since day one. What we expect to hear from shawn fain is that they are going to target select plants by activating select unions across the country. That is by design, to keep the Companies Guessing so that they have to try to figure out who is going on strike, who is not, that leaves some workers still in the plants, working. It is very unclear, because there will be no contract, what will happen to those workers. Ford ceo earlier telling me that those workers will likely not be paid. In moments we will hear more about this rollout plan as there are two hours until this very critical deadline. Vanessa, about that 40 pay increase that the unions are asking for, you spoke with the ford ceo, jim farley, about this earlier today. Tell us what he had to say. The union is tying this 40 pay increase to what they say the ceos of these big three have made in increases over the last four years. I will point out that ford says that jim farley is only received a 21 pay raise, and that is very close to what they are offering workers, but ultimately, he says a 40 pay raise for workers is out of the question, its untenable, heres more of what he told me earlier. 40 will put us out of business. We would lose 15 billion. We would have to cut people, close plants, whats the good of that . Its not a sustainable business. Theres a fine line, here, that we wont go past, which is, we want everyone to participate in our success, but if it prevents us from investing in this transition to evs and future products, like the ones we have now like new f150, best selling vehicle in the u. S. , then everyones jobs at risk if we dont invest. Reporter i spoke to jim farley two days ago, he was very optimistic that ford could reach a deal with the uaw and avert a strike, but as the days went on, you could see him becoming less and less certain that that would happen. Of course, abby, two hours to go, the clock is ticking, we have seen deals come together in the final moments, but as it stands now, at 12 00 midnight, we could expect thousands of uaw workers to head out to the picket lines, and that will cause disruptions in the auto industry, and beyond in the whole economy in the u. S. Abby . Very much a significant night tonight. Vanessa, we are standing by for this announcement. I know that you are, too, we will get back to you as soon as it happens. Up next, a uaw member, charles wade, who is at a Ford Assembly line in michigan. Charles, can you tell us, what are you and your colleagues feeling tonight ahead of the possibility of this historic strike . Anxious and ready to create a new standard for the american worker. You talk about a new standard, is this what this is about for you . Its about the quality of life, and charles, im sorry, uaw chief shawn fain is speaking right now. Ford, General Motors, and stellantis. The first time in our unions history, we had all three Companies Bargaining right here, at the solidarity house. Leading into the final hours of our strike deadline. Weve been working hard, trying to reach a deal for economic and Social Justice for our members. We have been firm. We are committed to winning an agreement with the big three that reflects the incredible sacrifice and contributions uaw members have made to these companies. Weve been open. The companies, the members, and the public know what weve been fighting for, and weve been clear. Midnight on the evening of September 14th is a deadline. Uaw family, that deadline is nearly here. Tonight, for the first time in our history, we will strike, all three of the big three at once. We are using a new strategy, The Stand Up Strike. We will call on selected facilities, locals, or units to stand up and go on strike. Tonight, we call on three units to stand up and go on strike at midnight, if we do not reach a tentative agreement in the next two hours. Were calling on gm, wentzville assembly, local 2250 in region four, to stand up and strike. Were calling on stellantis, Toledo Assembly complex, local 12, in region 2b to stand up and strike. And were calling on ford, Michigan Assembly plant, final assembly and paint only, local 900 in region 1a to stand up and strike. These three units are being called to stand up and walk out on strike at midnight tonight. The locals that are not yet called to join The Stand Up Strike will continue working under an expired agreement. No contract extensions. Though the contract is expired, most of your contract is still in effect. Management cannot change terms and conditions of work in your workplace. You do not become an employee at will. You cannot be fired or disciplined for no reason. This strategy will keep the Companies Guessing. It will give our National Negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining. And if we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table. I encourage you to visit uaw. Org stand up for everything you need to know about working under an expired contract. No matter what, all of us need to keep organizing. Rallies, protests, redshirt days, and community events. We must show the companies you are ready to join The Stand Up Strike at a moments notice. And we must show the world that our fight is a righteous fight. Again, tonight, at midnight, gm wentzville assembly, local 2250 in region four, stellantis, toledo is only complex, local 12, region 2b, and ford Michigan Assembly plant, final assembly and paint only, local 900 region 1a, will stand up and walk out on strike. The rest of us will keep organizing and support them on the picket line. If we strike tonight, ill see you on the picket line at michigan is assembly at midnight. Tomorrow, well be holding a mass rally at the Uaw Ford Joint Trust Building in downtown detroit, at 4 00 p. M. We will show our strength and unity on the first day of this historic action. All options remain on the table. National leadership will determine the appropriate targets and timing for further stand up Strike Action. This is our generations defining moment. The money is there, the cause is righteous, the world is watching. The uaw is ready to stand up. This is our defining moment. Thank you. You were just listening, there, to shawn fain, the president of the United Auto Workers. He just made a very important announcement that at midnight, if there is no deal, which there is not yet, he has called on three plants to go on strike. Striking three of the Big Three Automakers all at once, he says everything is on the table, and they will use these strikes to gain maximum leverage against these automakers. I want to go back, now, to charles wade. Charles, youre at uaw worker, who was, who works at one of the plants that shawn fain just mentioned, correct . So, you plan to go on strike after midnight if there is no deal . I plan on going to join them as soon as it starts, at 6 00 a. M. Ill be shuttling people to make sure they get out there, membership to the line. To hold the line for the strike line. Were going to be out there picketing until we get a tentative agreement, for sure. Were ready. I noticed that he said this is a generational fight. Thats how he views it. Do you view it that way . What did you make of what he had to say along with the announcement of the strike . Absolutely. Like i said, were trying to make a new standard, and its for the future. Its for my children, its to make this a job thats a career, not a job. When i hired and it was a career, it made me feel as though i was proud to build a car and be able to afford one, that i built. Now, 70 at at these plants cant afford a vehicle that they built, theyre buying foreign vehicles because they cant afford an american, the vehicle that they built. When he says everything is on the table, how long do you think this can go on . Are you willing to strike for weeks, months, longer . Im willing to strike until we get something thats equable and fair for everybody in the uaw. The retirees, the new hires, we need to pop up the hire and pay from 16 to a livable wage thats not creating families that are struggling. I am a legacy that has a pension, lets get pensions in their and get these these new hires something to look forward to. Lets support our retirees. Do you have a sense of how this strike, three separate plants in different parts of the country, each impacting one of the different automakers, how will that affect the everyday person . Give us a sense of what this means for the production of a car, that an american might be driving at home. Throughout history, every time the uaw has went on strike against the big three, anything that weve had significant gains on, it affects the whole United States, the nation, in positive ways. If our pay goes up, we spend more, were consumers, were the middle class. Somewhere along the line, we got forgot about, and now were just upper poor. If you dont get the middle class back, were just going to have a stagnant economy. The more money you give us, the more we spend, the more we are more likely to be able to afford and buy one of the cars. Earlier today the ford ceo that a 40 increase over four years for auto workers would bankrupt his company. Whats your reaction to that . He is wrong. That at the same time, i can see where hes coming from in a Strategic Point of view. But were only 6 of the cost of vehicle. If thats the case, tell them to stop gouging the consumers that arent the workers at 30 more on each vehicle tag gouge up, they upped the price 30 on all their vehicles. All right, charles wade, thank you very much, good luck to you, well be following this story, its very important for us. Tiktok, thank you. I want to bring in democratic covers many from michigan, congressman, thanks for being here. You just heard that announcement from shawn fain, at the uaw, what you make of what he said tonight . I stand with the workers of the uaw. These are my constituents, Tens Of Thousands of these people are people that i work for. Look, they are fighting for the future. A couple of generations ago, here in my hometown of flint, the workers staged a sitdown strike, it gets poetic that this is referred to as a stand up strike. Back then, the workers occupied the factories and got the first uaw contract, and as the previous guest said, that led to the creation of the middle class in the United States of america. Whats happened in the last couple of decades, much of what was gained was lost, and the workers that were talking about, actually made concessions in order to keep the American Auto industry alive when it was challenged a decade or so ago. So, this negotiation is really about getting back to that principal that says that if you work hard, if you work for one of these countries companies, a highly successful, highly profitable company, that the workers ought to share in the incredible wealth that their productive hands generate. Thats with this negotiation is about, and if it does result in a strike, thats what the strike will be focused on. President biden, leading up to this, has spoken to the uaw president. Hes spoken to the autoworkers, yet here we are, at quite literally the 11th hour, theres no deal. President biden said he didnt even think strike was going to happen. Why are we at this point right now . And do you think President Biden and the white house could have done more . I know the president has been engaged on this, gene sperling, who is part of the president s team, i talked to jean on a regular basis, hes been tasked to monitor this. Hes the most prounion president that weve had, certainly in my lifetime. I think he knows that this is important. But, the negotiations between workers, United Auto Workers, and the companys, the federal government is not a party to a contract. He can encourage, we can provide support, but at the end of the day it really comes down to the workers and their representatives in uaw sitting across the table from the companys, and coming to an agreement. They havent gotten there yet, because they started out pretty far apart. But, theres been progress. While obviously we all want to avoid a strike, what we dont want to do is forgo the opportunity to build a much stronger future for those uaw families. Thats whats at stake at the Bargaining Table right now. Everything that they can gain as the previous guest from ford said, everything that they gain goes right into the u. S. Economy. In the short term, this is challenging, its difficult. In the longterm, whatever theyre able to generate, whatever theyre able to get at the Bargaining Table, will benefit not just autoworkers, it will benefit workers in all these communities where the autoworkers salaries is what keeps the economy alive. Congressman, thank you very much. Thank you. More on this Breaking News and what to expect in the economy tomorrow, and in the weeks to come. Plus, hunter biden is now the first child of a sitting president to be indicted as he faces gun charges tonight. Why his lawyer now is blaming mega republicans. And attentions are flaring on capitol hill as speaker Kevin Mccarty fights to save his job. [announcer] finance your next car with carvana today. Tonight, hunter biden is the first child of a sitting u. S. President to be indicted. Federal prosecutors charging him with three Felony Gun Counts which include illegal possession, lying to a gun dealer, and making a false claim on a firearm application. It is a rather stunning turn of events after his original plea deal collapsed. Heres what his lawyer said tonight on cnn. It is the folks like Chairman Comber and the republican Maggot Crazies who have been pressuring the u. S. Attorney to do something to vindicate their political position and, guess what, they succeeded. Hunter owned an unloaded gun for 11 days. There will never have been a charge like this brought in the United States. If this does get to a trial, its quite possible it would be in the middle of his fathers reelection campaign. Lets keep in mind that the charges contradict joe bidens defense over the years. This is not about me, its not about my son. Theres not a shred of evidence that anything was done wrong. No one, no one has asserted my son did a single thing wrong. No one has asserted that i have done anything wrong except lying president. My son did Nothing Wrong, and, lets get something straight, my son did Nothing Wrong or illegal. Lets talk about what trump did and what hes doing. First of all, my son has done Nothing Wrong. Lets discuss this with cnn legal white house ethics, also it is Vice President of domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation and former Doj Civil Rights attorney Roger Sarah Vino and cnn senior political analyst, i want to s