WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some of the nearly 50,000 General Motors employees who went on strike early Monday morning are Ohioans — and some of the state’s lawmakers are supporting their cause.

The Lordstown plant going dark earlier this year thrust Ohio into the national debate over how GM is treating its employees.

As contract negotiations continue between United Auto Workers (UAW) and GM, the message from Ohio lawmakers is, largely, that the workers deserve better. 

“Autoworkers stood up and made sacrifices to help save GM when times were tough,” Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said in a statement: “All they are asking for is their fair share now that times are good."

Representative and presidential candidate Tim Ryan joined GM employees on the picket line in Lordstown, which is part of his district.

“Ten years ago, American taxpayers bailed GM out, but all we’ve gotten in return are factory shutdowns, jobs move overseas, and workers forced to leave their families and communities to find new jobs,” Ryan (D, 13th Congressional District) said in a statement. “It’s not right.”

In a tweet, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said, "Let’s hope @GM & the @UAW come to agreement soon – and part of the resolution is to keep GM at Lordstown…I will continue to fight to keep the plant open.”

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D, 9th Congressional District), who is co-chair of the House Auto Caucus, said in a statement: “I hope the strike and contract negotiations are resolved quickly and in a way that keeps plants open, jobs in our communities, and upholds our autoworkers’ right to fair treatment and compensation in exchange for their honest labor.”

GM workers have walked out from over 50 manufacturing plants and parts warehouses.

As negotiations continue, President Trump weighed in on Sunday night with a tweet that said, “Here we go again,” and, “Get together and make a deal!”