Thank you, brothers and sisters. I’m Rich Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO.
It is great to be here. Happy Labor Day! This is our day!
Since the late 19th century, we’ve spent this first Monday of September celebrating the incredible contributions of America’s workers.
Today, we meet at a time when the strength of workers and the popularity of unions is on the rise.
I’m thrilled to be here in Cleveland. Home of the NBA champions! And a proud union town!
Cleveland knows about hard work and sacrifice. You embody toughness and resilience.
And in 64 days you are going to help elect Hillary Clinton president and Tim Kaine vice president. Not only that, you’re going to send Ted Strickland to the Senate and Rob Portman back to Wall Street.
Working people have a lot to be proud of this year.
We’re stopping the job-killing, corporate handout known as the TPP. You did that!
We are organizing new workplaces. We are raising wages at the bargaining table and the ballot box. We are standing up for workers’ rights and women’s rights and voting rights and immigrant rights.
And we are shaping the national debate.
We’ve put inequality front and center.
We’ve put the focus on good jobs with strong and growing wages.
We’ve exposed America’s broken trade rules.
We’ve insisted on a fair piece of the wealth we help create.
Sisters and brothers, it’s working.
The Democratic platform yielded the strongest, most progressive and most unifying vision in 50 years.
And Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are rising to meet the challenges of tomorrow with a strong agenda of shared prosperity.
Momentum is on our side. But we cannot afford to be complacent.
If we rest, Trump wins.
What can I say about Donald Trump?
You saw the convention here. It was like a bad horror movie.
Trump says he’s our friend. Let me ask you this.
What kind of friend wants to lower your wages?
What kind of friend refuses to pay when he owes you money?
What kind of friend sends your job overseas?
What kind of friend threatens your retirement?
What kind of friend calls you names because of the way you look or talk or worship?
Trump is not our friend. He is a fraud.
Working people—union people—real friends—we are going to make sure that Donald never becomes president of the United States.
Fortunately, we do have a true friend in this race. And come January, we are going to start referring to her as Madame President.
Hillary Clinton is tough. She is smart. She is prepared. She listens. And she picked one hell of a running mate in Tim Kaine. Just ask union members in Virginia.
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are ready to rewrite the economic rules. They oppose the TPP and support a new direction on trade. They will make the largest investment in infrastructure, public education, workforce development and manufacturing since World War II—to the tune of 10 million new jobs!
And Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are proud champions of collective bargaining—the single greatest tool for economic mobility and a growing middle class in the world!
A new report shows that the attack on union rights is the biggest reason why wages are stuck and inequality is growing. Listen to this: nonunion workers lose $133 billion in wages a year due to the decline in unions.
So we know the answer to our problems. When unions are strong, America is strong. And collective bargaining isn’t just good for workers, it creates a more stable economy. When working people have a voice on the job, we are happier and more productive. That’s good for business. It’s a win-win.
Sisters and brothers, America is waking up to unionism. This is our chance. This is our moment. To bring out the best in America. To bring out the best in ourselves, and each other. Our vision will lift us up. We can do it, because we’re the ones who drive the buses and run the trains. We build the bridges and lift the loads. We teach the classes and care for the sick.
We do America’s work. We make America go. We want our share of the American Dream, and we’ll stand for it. We’ll march for it. We’ll vote for it. And we’ll win it! Thank you! Happy Labor Day!
