WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden hosted a joint assembly Monday with labor union leaders and the chief executives of main tech, retail and auto firms.

The enterprise leaders on the digital assembly have been Common Motors CEO Mary Barra, Microsoft president and CEO Satya Nadella, Goal chairman and chief govt Brian Cornell and Sonia Syngal, CEO of Hole.

Labor leaders included AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka; Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Staff Worldwide Union; Rory Gamble, president of the United Auto Staff; Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Staff, and Marc Perrone, president of the United Meals and Business Staff Worldwide Union.

“To state the apparent, we’re in a fairly darkish gap proper now,” Biden mentioned initially of the assembly. “We face a darkish winter forward with Covid.”

“You all have totally different views on how we can finest cope with the virus. And the way we will be certain staff and small companies keep protected, and we get again to rolling like we must always,” mentioned Biden, who was joined on the assembly by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

“All of us agree on widespread targets. We’re just about in lockstep,” Biden continued. “We agree that we will not simply construct again [after Covid], we have to construct again higher.”

The occasion marks the primary time that Biden as president-elect has formally convened enterprise and labor leaders to debate his financial restoration agenda.

The previous vp joked that he deserved “a Nobel Prize” for having introduced collectively union leaders and CEOs on the identical occasion.

“I am trying ahead to listening to what’s in your thoughts,” Biden mentioned to the group. “What’s high of thoughts on Covid and getting again to work safely?”

The assembly was the newest instance of Biden forging forward with the normal schedule of occasions for a president-elect, although President Donald Trump has refused to concede the race.

Every of the labor leaders represented a union that both wholly or partially endorsed Biden’s presidential marketing campaign.

However the attendance of such high-profile CEOs was extra noteworthy, largely as a result of it represented a public endorsement of Biden’s legitimacy as president-elect.

Following the assembly, Biden was scheduled to ship remarks on “making certain our staff and companies can function safely and rebuilding our economic system to be extra resilient and inclusive,” mentioned a transition aide.

He’s additionally anticipated to debate how the financial restoration depends upon controlling the unfold of the coronavirus.

This can be a growing story, please examine again for updates.