President Obama picked up the phone and called 2,000 Teamsters at Unity today, telling them America would look a lot different without them.
General President Hoffa gave Obama the news that the Teamsters had just endorsed his re-election:
They realize there's a war on workers and they realize there's only one person fighting that fight. That's you. Go get 'em, we endorse you all the way.Over the loudspeaker came the president's voice:
Thank you for the endorsement. ... America would look a lot different without the Teamsters. As we look to the next few years, the question is how are we going to reclaim security for the middle class after a decade in which the middle class has taken it on the chin. That starts with putting people back to work.Obama recounted the challenges he faced when he took office:
We lost more jobs in the month I took office than we did in the previous 60 years.Since 2010, his administration created more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs -- many of them in the auto industry.
The president told the Teamsters that America needs to restore some basic values that made this country great, beginning with rewarding work instead of speculation.
We're not going back to that 'you're on your own' economy.Hoffa replied,
We have boots on the ground, justice in your hearts and we're going to win in November. We've got your back.Obama replied,
I've got yours. I could not be prouder to have your endorsement.
