President Biden praises the AFL-CIO, labor movement’s efforts to expand good union jobs into new communities: “They have; they’re going now. It’s beginning to change.”
“I promised to be the most pro-union president in history….Our union workers are the best in the world.”
“Big part of Bidenomics is empowering American workers.”
Washington, D.C.—In case you missed it, yesterday President Joe Biden spoke in Chicago about “Bidenomics,” his economic agenda and his commitment to being “the most pro-union president in American history.”
Key excerpts from President Biden’s remarks:
“I meant what I said when I said I’m going to be…the most pro-union president in American history. And I make no apologies for it. “
“When I sat with the AFL-CIO…starting when I ran last time—I said, ‘Here’s the deal, though: I’m going to be the…most pro-union president in history, but you’ve got to employ more women, you’ve got to attract more African Americans, and you’ve got to attract more minorities.’ They have; they’re going now. It’s beginning to change.
“We’re also making it easier to empower workers by making it easier to join a union.
“As I said, I promised to be the most pro-union president in history. And I tell business leaders all the time: Our union workers are the best in the world.
“You know, addressing the 40-year decline in unionization by supporting project labor agreements, collective bargaining, prevailing wage laws, that’s the reason today Americans’ support of unions is higher than it’s been in 60 years.
“I went up there, and I said, “We’re going to get this, the number one project, to get done.” Within one week of my being there, two weeks of it happening, tanker trucks that crashed and caused this overpass that…has 150,000 vehicles travel on it every day and 14,000 trucks. It’s critical to our economy. We did it with union workers.
“…I met with the Business Roundtable and others. They said, ‘Why am I so pro-union?’ And I said, ‘Because it helps you. It really does.’ The total cost of a major project goes down when you have the best workers in the world doing it. Not a joke. It’s true.
“Look, young people are organizing in new companies and industries…”
Contact: Ray Zaccaro, 202-637-5018