Wednesday, October 24, 2012

VP Biden chats on phone with thousands of Teamsters

At the 2011 Teamsters convention.

Vice President Joe Biden joined thousands of Teamsters on a phone call last night, along with General President Jim Hoffa and General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall. The topic: How important the Nov. 6 election is to union families.

Biden told Teamsters:
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have declared war on unions. You can’t forget that unions built the middle class, but these Republicans view us as the problem, not the solution. 
We are facing the starkest choice in candidates that I can remember. You must vote in the best interests of you, your union and this country.  Romney and Ryan don’t understand America and I think they underestimate the power we have.  We may not have all the money they have for their campaign, but we have the boots on the ground. 
Biden is a longtime supporter of organized labor. Many Teamsters will remember him at the Teamsters International Conventions in 2011 and 2006. He told Teamsters on the phone that President Obama stands with Teamsters and the middle class.
Labor unions are the only power holding back what corporate America wants to do.
Hoffa said Romney wants to destroy labor unions and empower corporate America. President Obama stands with working people, he said. He saved the U.S. auto industry and that put autoworkers and Teamsters in the industry back to work. Hoffa said:
Mitt Romney has announced that he will get rid of the minimum wage, end project labor agreements and institute national right to work. He doesn’t care about the middle class.
Hall said that he and Hoffa will be visiting Teamster work sites through Election Day to encourage as many members as possible to go to the polls and support candidates that support working families. Hall said:
I encourage you to talk to your local union to see how you can help get out the vote. And make sure you wear your Teamster gear so that everyone can see that we are involved in this election.