DETROIT -- U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Wednesday criticized General Motors and other large corporations for greedy business practices, specifically calling out lucrative executive pay packages while cutting health care benefits for rank-and-file employees.

The Vermont senator, an independent running for the Democratic presidential nomination, briefly walking a picket line with striking United Auto Workers members outside of the company's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant. Workers at the plant are among the 48,000 UAW members that have been on strike since Sept. 16, after negotiators failed to reach a tentative deal before their labor contract expired on Sept. 14.

Standing across the street from a large inflatable cat with a cigar in its month and signs that read "Shame on General Motors" and "Shame on million dollar $ Mary $," referencing GM CEO Mary Barra, Sanders thanked the union members for striking the automaker.

"I am here today to thank you for having the courage to stand up to corporate greed," he said. "All over this country, working people are sick and tired of working two or three jobs, seeing their health care benefits go down, seeing their wages go down and seeing the CEOs paid huge compensation packages."

Sanders also decried GM for its production in Mexico, gap between worker and executive pay and plans to idle up to four U.S. plants, including Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly. The GM picket lines have become a popular campaign stop.