President Joe Biden threw his support behind the United Auto Workers’ efforts to unionize workers at Tesla Inc. and Toyota Motor Corp. in the wake of the labor group’s historic contract with Detroit’s Big Three automakers.

“Absolutely,” Biden told reporters Thursday when asked if he is in favor of the organizing drive.

Biden is again backing the union’s push for higher wages, benefits and larger membership. In the midst of the UAW’s strike against the legacy automakers, Biden made an historic appearance at a picket line to endorse the labor group’s demands.

The president spoke before traveling to Illinois for an event later Thursday to celebrate the contract, which saw the union secure record pay agreements with Stellantis NV, General Motors Co., and Ford Motor Co. after a six-week work stoppage that cost the auto industry billions of dollars.

UAW President Shawn Fain has said he wants to use momentum from the agreement to target non-union manufacturers such as Tesla and Toyota. Biden will meet Fain and other union figures Thursday in Belvidere, Illinois, where an idled Stellantis assembly plant will reopen under the terms of the contract.

Fain is taking on an ambitious task in trying to grow the union’s membership, which is a fraction of what it was in its mid-20th century heyday. That dovetails with Biden’s goal of reviving the US labor movement.

The UAW failed at previous organizing efforts at foreign-based automakers in the US, such as Volkswagen AG. Tesla, though, offers a prominent target for the union. The company employs tens of thousands of non-union workers across states including California, Texas, Nevada and New York, and is the leading US electric automaker. One of the union’s concerns is that the transition to electric vehicles will shrink its ranks and lower pay.

Fain has expressed optimism the union can take on Tesla and its anti-union Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk following its recent wins.

“We can beat anybody,” Fain said in an interview last week with Bloomberg News. “It’s gonna come down to the people that work for him deciding if they want their fair share,” he added. “I believe it’s doable.”

Mobilizing rank-and-file union voters next year will be crucial to Biden’s reelection prospects. Biden formally launched his 2024 campaign earlier this year at a rally with union groups, signaling their importance to his campaign.

The UAW endorsed Biden in his 2020 campaign but has not yet offered their formal support for his reelection bid. Fain praised Biden’s appearance on the picket line but has pushed Democrats and the White House to be more supportive of the union and labor movement.

“They’re going to be fine,” Biden said when asked whether he would bring up an endorsement with Fain.