Thank you, Brother Art [Pulaski]. Thank you, brothers and sisters. I’m so proud to speak at your convention today.
As I start, I want to say a word about the difficult events of last week. Our hearts are heavy. Heavy for the loss of life. Heavy for the way these tragedies divide us.
Heavy for all those who fear for their own safety—whether they are a police officer or someone who comes into contact with the police.
But I am also hopeful. Hopeful because the Dallas police were protecting the right of protestors to make their voices heard. Hopeful because in the midst of division and chaos, there exists the seeds of a real dialogue. Hopeful because we have a genuine belief that all of us are brothers and sisters.
The labor movement is committed to doing our part. We are determined to get this right. For working people of all races and backgrounds and the country we love.
Let’s honor the memories of those killed by coming together to build an America where we are all free and safe and valued.
I know you are committed to doing that here in California. You offer the rest of America a view of the future. But to move forward the right way, I think it’s important to first look back.
How many of you remember Proposition 187? It was a hateful referendum designed to prevent immigrant workers from building a better life. It was as wrong then as it is today. At the time, California was basically a purple state, split equally between Democrats and Republicans.
But Prop 187 was a turning point. And Governor Pete Wilson’s disgraceful ad depicting an immigrant invasion was the last straw.
Working people took California back, and today it is one of the most progressive, pro-worker states in the country.
Californians chose hope over fear, love over hate and unity over division. We continue to do that today. And we are all better for it.
Except now we have Donald Trump. He might be new to the American political scene, but his playbook of using immigration to distract and divide us is old and tired. We rejected the politics of xenophobia long ago and that’s why the Republican Party in California is on life support, hardly able to produce decent candidates for the general election.
When Trump says “Make America Great Again,” what he really means is take America back to a time when immigrants were in the shadows, women were in the kitchen, LGBTQ people were in the closet, and only white men were in the White House.
Sisters and brothers, America goes forward, not back!
Our unions are following a vision that grows from our values, and the reality of what we need to live a good life, in California and across America. Our vision is why we support an expansive progressive political and legislative agenda that will improve the lives of California’s working families. That’s our mission.
And we can never forget that our agenda drives our politics, not the other way around. So when Democrats like Congressman Ami Bera forget who put them into office, they can forget about having our help. We stand with those who stand with us, no matter what political party you belong to.
That’s what makes us strong. We work for working people, not Democrats or Republicans. And we’ll make sure they never forget it!
Your strength, the strength of California’s labor movement, is no accident.
You set the benchmark for success. It starts with strategic planning. You lead the way when it comes to the crucial issue of federation accountability. You know how to get buy-in. That’s the secret to your success, but it’s really no secret at all. Our strength rises up from below. Our power comes from our relationships. And when we build like you’re building, we win real progress: Paid family leave, a $15 minimum wage, protections for immigrant workers and so many other victories.
It all comes back to one absolute truth: That each and every one of us should be decently paid for the work we do. That means having the right to join together and negotiate for better wages and benefits, a reasonable work schedule and a voice on the job. We know that being part of a union is the surest way to get better wages, equal pay, health care, sick days and vacation time. When we stand together, we’re stronger. But this is about more than dollars and cents: it’s about a better life, for all working people, no matter who you love or how you worship, no matter where you came from or what you do.
It covers everything we care about. Fair trade. Health care. Equal pay for equal work. Decent pensions and a quality public education for every single child. Justice for immigrants and yes, #BlackLivesMatter.
Our vision will unite this country and build a better future. California is hungry for it. America is hungry for it. 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 clean the schools. We clear the roads and load the trucks. We build America and defend it. We do America’s work. We make America go. We want our share of the American Dream, brothers and sisters, and we’ll stand for it. We’ll march for it. And we’ll win it!
We are in the midst of an incredibly important election year. But this is much more than the typical political horse race. In 2016, we’re going to find out what we are made of as a country. Are we small-minded and weak? Or are we ambitious and strong?
The answer is right here in California. We see the challenges, and we rise above them. We stand together. We find common ground. And when we get to work, we create abundance. That’s America.
And then there is Donald Trump. But before I talk about his lies, his hypocrisy and his fraudulence, I want to remind you how we got here.
Republican extremism created Donald Trump. He is the manifestation of years of low-road politics, racism and division.
Ever since Barack Obama was elected President, the Republican vocabulary has been reduced to one word: “No!” It’s like being the parent of a four-year-old.
No to creating jobs. No to raising wages. No to investing in roads and bridges. No to deferred action for immigrants. No to justice. No to unions. No to a new direction on trade. No to a vote on the President’s Supreme Court nominee.
In their obsession with defeating and defying President Obama, Republican leaders refused to work with him, so we haven’t been able to make the big changes working people need, that America needs.
People are fed up. And we should be! Washington is broken! By refusing to govern, Republican leaders have left working people behind. By refusing to govern, Republican leaders paved the way for a monster. That monster is Donald Trump.
Through his actions, his words and his ideas, Donald Trump is profoundly unfit to be president. And it’s not just me saying that. It’s Republican leaders, too. It’s Mitt Romney. It’s George W. Bush. Look how many Republican leaders aren’t going to next week’s convention. And how about the VP search? It feels like a search and rescue operation.
Seventy percent of Americans view Trump unfavorably. Is it any wonder? Name any core American value, and Donald Trump is against it. Freedom of religion. Freedom of the press. Responsibility. Equality. Unity. Integrity. He stands against everything we stand for!
Listen to this: Trump spent over half a million dollars trying to prevent employees at his hotel in Las Vegas from organizing. Workers won the election anyway, and now he is refusing to bargain a fair contract. How exactly does that make America great?
Trump talks a good game on trade but he ships jobs overseas every chance he gets, and manufactures his products in countries with low wages and nonexistent labor protections. He personally profited from NAFTA and said that outsourcing creates jobs. When it comes to fair trade, Donald Trump is nothing more than con-man, a cheapskate and a fraud.
Trump actually rooted for the collapse of the housing and real estate market. He bet on himself and against America. People lost their homes, their jobs and their life savings. And Donald Trump was cheering all the way to the bank.
We recently learned that since 2005, Trump’s companies have been cited for 24 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act for stealing wages from his workers.
Trump says he sets the gold standard. It’s more like the lead standard, and it would sink every working family in this country.
Sisters and brothers, Donald Trump made himself rich by making the rest of us poor and we are going to kick his ass in November.
You see, in the last few years, something has started to change in America. Working people have come alive. We have said “enough.” Enough to an economy that is designed to keep us down, lower our wages and hurt our families and communities.
We’re ready to write new rules for a new economy where working people set the terms and the Wall Street and wealthy elite abide by them.
A year ago we made it clear that candidates must offer a bold and comprehensive raising wages agenda if they wanted to appeal to working people. Hillary Clinton did exactly that. She and Bernie Sanders had a substantive, passionate campaign that forever changed where the economic debate starts in America. It was one of the best primary contests I’ve ever seen. In the end, Hillary Clinton won the most votes, the most delegates and the support of most unions. The AFL-CIO is proud to endorse her.
Hillary Clinton is a pro-worker progressive who has always fought to make life better for working people, families and children. Time and again, Hillary has listened to us and stood with us to win positive change.
She is tough. She is smart. And she understands that to truly make America great, unions must lead the way.
When you think about it, the labor movement shares a lot in common with Hillary. Both of us have endured right-wing attacks for the better part of three decades. Both of us have been knocked down and counted out. And despite these obstacles, both of us have gotten back up time and time again.
The choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, well, it’s not a choice at all.
Hillary supports a fundamental new direction on trade. Just yesterday, she said and I quote: “We’re going to say no to bad trade deals and unfair trade practices, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership.” And not only that, because of our leadership, the Democratic Party recently adopted the most pro-worker trade language in its history.
Trump, on the other hand, embodies everything that is wrong with the current trade model.
Hillary supports equal pay for equal work. Trump said letting women have jobs is a very dangerous thing.
Hillary has a plan to build our schools, roads and bridges. Trump wants to build a wall.
On the issues we care about most, Hillary is standing with us. That’s why we are going to stand with her from now until Election Day, and beyond.
Sisters and brothers, Hillary Clinton is our champion and we are going to elect her the next president of the United States! California will show us the way! And we’ll elect a Congress that will work with her. We’ll lay the groundwork for the greatest growth of shared prosperity in American history. We’re doing it now!
We understand that the election is a beginning, not an end. We are going to hold every one of our elected leaders accountable, from the White House on down.
You see, our economy isn’t like the weather. It doesn’t just happen to us. No drought dried up our pensions. The Santa Ana winds didn’t blow away America’s middle class. Greedy corporations drove down our wages. Ruthless CEOs and anti-worker politicians stole our pensions. Billionaires like Trump sold our jobs overseas, because our trade deals and tax policies encourage and reward greed.
What we do in California this year will transform our economy. It’s about having an equal shot and a fair shake. We’ll keep fighting. Keep marching. Keep building. To win a new era of good jobs, strong unions and raising wages.
This year, America’s labor movement will unleash the most comprehensive electoral program in our history.
California can and will change the direction of this country, if we meet the challenge head on.
Our strength grows from our unity. It’s up to us to motivate each other. As the leaders of California’s labor movement, it’s on you to move your members. It’s on you to lead your members to volunteer, to turn out at unprecedented levels.
Keep leading the way. Keep blazing a trail forward. As a national movement, we’ve been under attack so long, it can be hard to get out of a defensive crouch. But no one plays offense like California!
So it’s time to stand up strong, brothers and sisters. It’s time to mobilize and organize. This electoral season is all about raising wages. We’re going to lay the groundwork. We’ll hit the worksites. We’ll talk to members. We’ll walk the streets and knock the doors. This is what a unified labor movement does. This is what it looks like when working people stand together, union strong!
We’ll fix what’s broken in our country. We’ll heal through solidarity. Together, we will create a better tomorrow. It won’t be easy. It won’t happen in an instance or through one election. We’ll have to work for it, sisters and brothers. Together. Each of us. With solidarity. Where your picket line is my picket line and my picket line is your picket line. Shoulder to shoulder. Arm in arm. All day. Every day. Voting. Fighting. Winning. Together. To bring out the best in each other and ourselves. To bring out the best in America. To build the nation we can have and must have and will have!
Thank you! And God bless you!