"I told you when I ran for president, I would support you and I have. But you also have my support," President Biden told about 2,000 union members attending the rally, according to Reuters.
This week, the AFL-CIO, which includes 60 unions representing more than 12.5 million workers, endorsed President Biden and his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, marking the earliest the AFL-CIO has endorsed a U.S. presidential election, and held a rally on June 17. Biden said the early endorsement would make a “huge difference” in the election.
President Biden's frequent appearances at union events, including at a labor conference in Washington DC shortly after announcing his re-election campaign, show how important he thinks the labor movement is to a second presidential term, according to Reuters.
US President Joe Biden speaks to union members on June 17 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Hailed by labor leaders as the most pro-union president in history, Biden has supported collective bargaining at companies and reversed rules implemented by his predecessor, Donald Trump, that weakened worker protections. President Biden has also pushed to reverse decades of declines in union membership and made it easier for unions to build bridges and ports across the country.
In his new speech, President Biden talked about his $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, which passed with bipartisan support in Congress. "In 10 years, Americans will look around and say, 'Oh my God, look at what we've done. Look at our nation's roads, bridges, airports,'" President Biden said. Biden added that his administration has launched 32,000 infrastructure projects across the country.
White working-class voters were split on Mr Biden in 2020, but the leader now has their support, according to Reuters, citing several union leaders.
Several construction unions whose members traditionally vote Republican have not endorsed any candidate in the 2020 presidential election after local leaders could not agree on whether to back Mr Biden or Mr Trump.
Ryan Boyer, who heads the influential Building Trades Council in Philadelphia, which represents 50 unions, said Biden’s record as president had erased any doubts among his members about who he would support in the 2024 election.
Union voters helped Mr. Biden win key battleground states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Labor is expected to play a major role in the Democratic Party's grassroots activities ahead of the 2024 election, according to Reuters.
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