Democrat frontrunner Joe Biden told the AFL-CIO on Tuesday that the confusion and damage being done to the U.S. economy is a “chance” to change it.
Biden addressed members of the Pennsylvania union from his basement studio.
“Once we break the infection curve and stem this public health crisis, we’re going to face an immense job of rebuilding this economy,” Biden said.
“We can’t just return to an unfair and unequal economy that’s stacked against American workers,” he said, adding “the middle class was built by unions,” and unions will be the “driver” of the success on the other side of the virus outbreak.
“We know what that needs to look like. This will be our chance to make it real,” Biden vowed.
After ticking through a laundry list of pro-union proposals, Biden said, “And above all, more union members, more unions, more collective bargaining everywhere in America. In the private sector. In the public sector. In the federal government.”
Biden said if they elect him in November, “no one” will fight harder for them than him.
“My dad used to say the only way to deal with the abuse of power is with power,” he said. “You are the only power we have.”
He vowed — by repeating it three times — to “promote unions.”
“I want to promise you, that’s what I’m going to do. Not just support unions but promote formation of more unions. Take on those corporations that are spending a billion dollars a year to make it difficult to organize,” Biden said, claiming they’re “violating the law.”
He then said he was talking too long and took a single question before signing off.