Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you, Don [Marcus], for that introduction and for inviting me to speak with all of you today. And I want to recognize you and Secretary-Treasurer [Donald] Josberger and the entire team for your incredible leadership and all you’ve done and continue to do for working people.
And to you, the delegates, your hard work and dedicated effort is the primary reason why the labor movement continues to gain momentum.
Unions have never been more popular in recent memory, especially with young people.
Workers are organizing in every industry…in every corner of this country…They’re filing election petitions at an incredible pace…and winning.
Each win…no matter how big or small…makes the next organizing campaigns a little easier.
And every good contract helps give workers already in unions the courage to stick together and reject unfair contracts and go on strike.
Unions and the solidarity of working people have been front-page, mainstream news.
And that’s because of our solidarity. When we stick together there is no place we can’t organize, no problem we can’t solve, and no hardship we can’t overcome.
When we stick together we can be a force for progress and become a truly powerful movement by…and for…and of…working people…all working people.
When President Liz Shuler and I were elected to lead the AFL-CIO, we said organizing has to be our top priority.
And we also said we wanted this labor movement we love to be more diverse and inclusive than ever. We wanted every worker to know that the labor movement was for them…a place where they feel safe and welcomed.
It’s always easier said than done. It takes intentional effort. And that can make us uncomfortable. But diversity does make us stronger. And I want to commend you for being intentional, and especially the Women’s Caucus for the incredible work they have been doing to change the culture on ships and across the maritime industry. And for serving as role models for young trade unionists just starting out.
We all need to work together to make sure that unions are a place where everyone is welcome, and where our jobs and workplaces are safe. That’s a constant.
It’s also a constant that change doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s the result of years of your hard work and dedicated effort.
And now we have an opportunity to increase our influence as a force for progress and improve maritime safety standards.
Because what we’re seeing right now all over our economy is companies and executives taking shortcuts. Cutting corners just to make a little more money…for themselves and for their investors.
Like those trying to eliminate the two pilot requirement on airliners…
Or companies that choose flag-of-convenience models to save a few bucks.
Some companies have no problem risking the health and safety of seafarers, as well as the safety and welfare of those in and around ports.
Cutting corners makes workers less safe and it makes the American public less safe.
And we know that without unions, companies and executives would cut a lot more than just corners.
Unions and worker solidarity are the counterbalancing force to corporate greed…to the executives and politicians who only look out for themselves…and who want to tear unions apart and push workers to the bottom…
To a place where workers don’t have a voice and unions don’t have a future.
That is a place we cannot and will not accept!
Now look, everyone here knows this year’s election is critically important. There’s a lot at stake, that’s true.
And we all know that the course our future takes will depend on who is writing the laws and making the rules.
But this election is about more than Democrat versus Republican. It is about us. It’s about the future of working people and the future of unions.
It’s about workers.
It’s about electing candidates who are pro-worker and pro-union up and down the ballot. Candidates who want to make it easier to form a union and harder to bust them.
Candidates who want to fill the NLRB and the EEOC and every single government agency and the courts with people who believe in the power of collective bargaining.
Candidates who want to fully fund our agencies…like OSHA…like the Coast Guard…so the laws designed to protect the health and safety of workers are actually enforced.
Candidates who want to revitalize the shipbuilding industry here at home and strengthen our merchant marine.
Candidates who want to see high-road jobs…union jobs.
Candidates who have a deep and abiding respect for the Jones Act…and support the U.S Merchant Marine!
This election is about electing leaders who share our values and will make our policy goals a reality.
Now look, there’s a lot of misinformation and disinformation out there. Voters are more polarized than ever. But we can break through the noise. We can talk about the issues.
We can lay out the facts and have a discussion about who has delivered for working people…and who has been delivering hot air.
When we lay out the facts, workers will be able to see how President Biden has delivered for us in so many ways over the last three-and-a-half years. And that’s despite a dysfunctional Congress.
Our agenda drives our politics, not the other way around. So we need to do everything we can to keep the ear and respect of the Biden administration, and keep advancing our workers-first agenda, increase our influence, and deliver for workers and the communities in which we live and work.
I believe that the labor movement is the most powerful force for progress. And I believe the future and success of America hinges on the future and success of the labor movement.
This is our moment. It demands our full attention. It demands our focused effort. It demands our unity.
Let’s communicate with our family and friends and members of our community about our vision for the future.
Let’s keep fighting for progress. Let’s keep growing our movement. Let’s be the authors of our future.
Let’s show the nation what grassroots power looks like. And let’s build a future that works for all of us—for generations to come.
Thank you.