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In the midst of tough times for our country (and the world) I wanted to tell you about events I attended this past weekend in the Midwest, and how inspired I was by the workers I met there.
On Thursday night, I joined Sean O'Brien, the new president of the Teamsters, and Sara Nelson, the newly reelected president of the Association of Flight Attendants, at a rally in Chicago at Teamsters local 705. Great turn out of trade unionists. Great energy. At a moment in which we are seeing the revitalization of the trade union movement the theme of the rally was: The Working Class: Taking on Corporate Greed.
Rally attendees
Bernie speaking
Bernie speaking with rallygoers
My message was pretty simple. We have an economy and a political system that is working just great – for the people who own the system. Unfortunately, it’s not working so great for the working class of his country. In fact, many working families are falling further and further behind.
Today, we have more income and wealth inequality than at any time in the history of this country. We have more concentration of ownership than at any time in the history of this country. We have more corporate greed than at any time in the history of this country. And we have a political system that, more than ever, is dominated by super PACs and the billionaires who fund them. That is the economic and political reality of our time. This is a destructive reality which must be changed.
On Friday morning I traveled to Racine, Wisconsin and, in the afternoon, went to Burlington, Iowa to rally with hundreds of UAW members who are currently on strike against Case New Holland, a manufacturer of tractors and other farm equipment. Despite being owned by the Agnelli family of Italy, who are worth some $19 billion dollars; despite making $1.7 billion in profits last year; despite providing their CEO with $22 million in salary; CNH wants to slash their workers' health benefits and provide totally inadequate wage increases. Corporate greed at its worst. This is a bitter strike against an incredibly greedy company that has turned its back on their employees – many of whom have worked there for years. I was proud to stand in solidarity with these courageous workers.
Bernie talking to striking workers on the picket line
Bernie speaking at a rally for striking workers
Bernie speaks at the rally
Bernie with workers
Bernie shaking hands with a rallygoer
On Friday night, along with Sean O'Brien, Sara Nelson, Chris Smalls of the Amazon Labor Union and others, I spoke before a standing-room only crowd at the Labor Notes conference. Labor Notes is a decades-old publication that does an excellent job in following the struggles of the American working class. What impressed me most at that conference were veteran trade unionists standing shoulder to shoulder with a young generation of progressives who are fighting for transformational change.
Bernie speaking at Labor Notes
On Saturday morning I spoke at a political rally for two strong Illinois progressive candidates for Congress, Delia Ramirez and Jonathan Jackson. In recent years we have had significant success in electing great progressives to Congress – often people of color. We need more, and I am confident that both Delia and Jonathan will join me and other progressives in Congress in taking on special interests and fighting for working class interests.
Bernie speaking at a rally for Jonathan Jackson and Delia Ramirez
And then it was a trip to O'Hare airport and a flight back to Vermont.
In solidarity,
Bernie
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Bernie is traveling the country to support worker organizing efforts and to help elect progressive candidates. Now more than ever, it's important that we bring our people together around an agenda that works for ALL of us, not just those at the top.
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