12 Barack Obama Quotes to Prepare You for His Appearance at the AFL-CIO National Convention
President Barack Obama will be one of the keynote speakers at the AFL-CIO 2013 National Convention in Los Angeles from Sept. 8–11. Here are 12 key quotes from him that highlight his commitment to working families:
1. "Politics didn't lead me to working folks—working folks led me to politics."— April 2008
2. "I've said this before publicly and I'll say it again, I make no apologies for it. I am a pro-union guy."— April 2010
3. "Our unions helped build our middle class. We take for granted so much stuff—minimum wage laws, 40-hour workweek, overtime, child labor laws. Those things wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for unions fighting for those rights. So even if you're not a member of a union, you've got to be appreciative of what unions have done."— April 2010
4. "I am committed to preserving the collective bargaining rights that helped build the greatest middle class the world has ever known. It is the fundamental right of every American to have a voice on the job, and a chance to negotiate for fair pay, safe working conditions and a secure retirement. When we uphold these basic principles, our middle class grows and everybody prospers."— September 2012
5. "The fact of the matter is that is what's going to help us become competitive is if we've got middle-class workers making middle-class wages with middle-class benefits, who can then go out and shop and support a family and buy a new car and pay their mortgage, which will create more business opportunities and maintain America as the greatest market on Earth. And if we do that, then we're going to be successful."— April 2010
6. "America cannot have a strong, growing economy without a strong, growing middle class and without a strong labor movement."— September 2011
7. "We’ve got roads and bridges across this country that need rebuilding. We’ve got private companies with the equipment and the manpower to do the building. We’ve got more than 1 million unemployed construction workers ready to get dirty right now. There is work to be done and there are workers ready to do it. Labor is on board. Business is on board. We just need Congress to get on board."— September 2011
8. "Now, the fact is, our economy is stronger when workers are getting paid good wages and good benefits. Our economy is stronger when we've got broad-based growth and broad-based prosperity. That’s what unions have always been about—shared prosperity."— September 2011
9. "The right to organize and collectively bargain is a fundamental American value."— September 2011
10. "I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world. We used to have the best infrastructure in the world. We can have it again."— September 2010
11. "It's time we had a president who didn't choke saying the word 'union.'"— April 2008
12. "From the factory floors during the Industrial Revolution to the shopping aisles of today's superstores, organized labor has provided millions of hardworking men and women with a voice in the workplace and an unprecedented path into our strong middle class. By advocating on behalf of our families, labor unions have helped advance the safe and equitable working conditions that every worker deserves."— September 2010
