Fox News couldn’t help but slip a pro-management message into its coverage of the United Auto Workers strike at General Motors plants.

Subbing in as guest host of Varney & Co., Fox Business anchor David Asman asked panelists “whether or not we're going to have another situation where the companies are squeezed” by union demands.

Asman and correspondent Susan Li then speculated whether the strike was really being launched to distract from Justice Department investigations into the UAW leadership.

“So you suspect this might be a diversion from that?” Asman asked.

“I don't know,” Li responded. "I think there has to be some — it calls into questions some of their motives, right?

“At least the timing, you know,” said Asman. “It take that story off their front page.”

“Especially when these workers are being paid quite well in comparison to other industries,” Li said. “We talked about $40-50 an hour.”

“Sixty-three dollars per hour is what I have,” Asman said, “that GM pays in wages and benefits, it's all-in.”