LIVE: Biden, Harris Campaign in Pittsburgh

Where it feels impossible For young folks to buy a home or that we're one bad break from everything going south where we don't have freedom or opportunity on the job and we have no way to fight back because Donald Trump and JD Vance have Gutted the right to form a union. Do we want that future? Because there is a better future on the horizon, right? And it's on display right here in this hall a Future where every worker has freedom and opportunity and dignity That's right a future where there's no such thing as a man's job or a woman's job or a black job Donald Trump Just good union jobs A future where they don't call us working women childless cat ladies. They call us madam president Country can stand up and say from experience that it's better in a union Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were walking our picket lines when Donald Trump was crossing them Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have led the most pro-union White House in American history And you remember that Kamala Harris cast those deciding votes in the Senate to save millions of workers pensions and lower costs for seniors on their prescription drugs and Make the biggest investment in modern history to rebuild this country And now Kamala Harris and our union brother Tim Walz Yeah To go even further because they believe in that future that we all want to see to the White House Goes right through our Union Hall That's right one in five voters right here in Pennsylvania is a union voter Prince maker We have the people We have the trust We know how to organize and we are ready to send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House Are we ready? Are you gonna get your friends registered to vote? Are you gonna knock every day until November 5th? That's what I thought because when we fight When we fight Now I have the great pleasure of Introducing my friend my brother one of the great labor leaders in this country IBEW international president Kenny Cooper Thank you brothers and sisters Thank you guests and most of all Thank you family for being here on Labor Day You know, it's a great honor to be in Pittsburgh a good Union town But for me, it's really an honor to be in the House of Labor IBEW local 5. Thank you so much for everything you do As Liz said I'm the international president of the IBEW the oldest and largest electrical union in the entire world And on behalf of 840,000 members of the IBEW is my true honor Get to introduce tonight the strongest most pro-union administration ever in the history of the United States President Biden and Vice President Harris You know Joe Biden made him the president of 2022 or 2020 He promised to save American pension Serious risk he promised to help American workers that were depending on him Workers who went to work every day live by the rules who deferred their own wages retire one day Saving the Americans When the Senate was all tied up On the rescue of America's pension plans They were only tied up for one reason We couldn't find a Republican senator that would vote for American workers The Vice President Harris showed us her real colors She stepped to the plate cast a deciding vote to save our pension plans across America Showing working families that Biden and Harris administration has our backs promises made promises kept He pledged to rebuild our country's infrastructure The only way that makes sense with good union jobs that pays well and has health care for them and their families once again promises made promises kept They work together to pass the Chips and Science Act bringing back manufacturing jobs to communities that really need them the most promises made promises kept They pledged to be true friends of labor Because they understand the necessity of union to the American worker and to the middle class well Joe Biden and Kamala Harris kept every single one of those promises Pension plan relief of which Lewis Act went above and beyond our expectations His infrastructure bills are bringing good union jobs back much-needed infrastructure across our nation in every corner of our nation He's never been afraid to say the word union Joe Biden is more than just a pro-union the most pro-union president in our nation When he passed the torch to Kamala Harris, he ensured his pro-union pro-labor legacy would continue to the next administration Kamala Harris understands just as Joe did and Joe does now The only way to meet the future of this great nation is by giving workers a real voice at every table Especially the most important table for every worker and every worker's family Sisters please join me to welcome our true friends the president and vice president of the United States Joe Biden and Kamala Harris I've celebrated many Labor Days in Pittsburgh It's always good to be back with so many great friends Many of them flew with me on Air Force One today Representatives have been with me since the beginning of my career. They're not that old Since I was a 29 year old kid. I want to thank Liz Shuler of AFL-CIO And Kenny of the IBEW For that strong endorsement. By the way, we have an expression in Delaware IBEW when I ran for president, they're the ones that brung me to the dance starting off. It's not a joke Dave McCall, Steelworkers Dave in 1972 Steelworkers of the First Union endorsed a 29 year old kid named Joe Biden who wasn't old enough to be senator when he got elected It mattered Guy named Huey Carsella Was the district president because we used to have one of the largest labor forces in Claymont, Delaware and North, over 4,000 workers Huey, Huey went to the national president, I.W. Abel, and he said he wanted me, he wanted me, but guess what? I.W. Abel stuck with me They got stuck with me for the rest of my career Eric Dean of the Ironworkers, Tim Diskell of Bricklayers, April Bell of the SEIU Lee Saunders of Astman, a great friend And Jimmy Williams of the Painters, Allied Trades, and then his dad His dad is a really good man Mike Coleman, a sheet metal worker We also got some of the best elected officials of America, Governor Josh Shapiro is doing an incredible job The great Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis And one of America's best workers, Ed Gainey, Ed you're doing a hell of a job And Sergeant Amato, county executive, I think it's the hardest job in American politics Everybody knows where you live, and I think you can solve all the problems if you don't have enough money But I'll tell you one thing, I'm the first president ever. I used to be a county official when I was 26 years old And it always bothered me that the federal government would send money to the state to be distributed to the county What the hell is the state going to send it to the county for? All the state reps need the money But guess what? Under my administration it goes straight to the county One of my best friends My name is Joe Barton, I'm from Scranton, Pennsylvania Bobby Casey's been a great friend, his dad was a great friend as well And by the way, we grew up three blocks from one another, three blocks And they still worry about us, but guess what? I was on North Washington Avenue, he was in Adams, guess what? They renamed North Washington Avenue down where I live, Biden Way Bobby Bobby, make sure you get re-elected again, and while we couldn't be here, I want to thank his partner in the Senate, John Fetterman If you're in a foxhole, you want Fetterman in there with you He couldn't be here today, but guess what? He sent the best part of the family, Giselle, she's here Let me just say, it means so much to be with a true friend, a true friend, a vice president, and the next great president of the United States of America I come from two neighborhoods where it's not hard to say the word union, but you know what? The fact of the matter is, an awful lot of politicians have trouble saying union, they've got working people Guess what? I'm not one of them, neither is Kamala We know the simple truth Wall Street did not build America, the middle class built America, and unions built the middle class That's a fact That's not a slogan, that's a fact I asked the Treasury Department to do a study, and it shows that when unions do well, all workers in America do better That's a fact It's the biggest reason why our economy is the strongest economy in the world today, without question, because of unions You know, my dad, like many of his generation, going into World War II, my dad was a really well-raised, always engaged And he'd come home from work before he'd go back for dinner And the dinner is a place where we had discussions, and this is what dad taught me My dad would say this all the time Remember Joe, jobs are about a lot more than a paycheck It's about your dignity It's about your place in the community It's about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, honey, it's going to be okay in the end That's why That's why Kamala and I are so proud So proud of the greatest job creation record of any president in a single term in American history Sixteen million new jobs so far Eight hundred thousand manufacturing jobs Eight years ago, how many times did you hear about we can no longer be the manufacturing capital of the world? Where the hell is that written? We are the greatest manufacturing county in the world, state in the world, city in the world We're going to remain that way Now, I'll tell you something Kamala and I are damn proud that we protected the pensions of over one million workers and retirees Remember all those years of promise we were going to do something about it? Well, damn it, we finally did with the Butch Lewis Act Over 52,000 workers and retirees across Pennsylvania alone are benefiting from that Not only did we restore the full amount We got them their back pay as well We made them whole again As I once said to Barack, that's a big deal Yes, sir, Liz and Kenny described another big deal Union workers rebuilding American infrastructure and building new factories here in America He told me we couldn't get anything done in infrastructure A trillion, two hundred billion dollars we got there Remember Trump for four years promised every month infrastructure week For four years he promised that He didn't build a damn thing Nothing I mean it, not nothing But thanks to our infrastructure law Pennsylvania so far has received 17 billion dollars 17 billion dollars Over 2,000 projects From clean water to affordable high speed internet for every Pennsylvanian Projects that include 858 million dollars To expand the Montgomery Lock Better accommodate bigger barges To get millions of tons of goods And shelves faster and more reliable And create thousands of union jobs I was working on the Great Lakes I got a call from Bobby from Senator Casey He's been no bigger champion than Casey You know what I call him? I call him the Casey Locks Not Goldilocks The Casey Locks Bobby's also a champion of Pennsylvania's energy community We passed what's called the Casey Credit Available to 45 Pennsylvania counties Where energy jobs such as coal Or coal mining Had been before it disappeared Before we came to office The Casey Credit provides major incentives For companies to build new battery factories Wind turbines and more To create high paying jobs In those coal and natural gas communities And on top of that There's over 4 billion dollars In private companies That have committed to invest In clean energy and advanced manufacturing Here in Pennsylvania 4 billion dollars And guess what We're here to support Oxide We signed an executive order To make sure large federal construction projects All use Project Labor Agreements Folks at home Maybe watch this and tell them What a Project Labor Agreement is Contractors, subcontractors and unions Put in place Before construction began Before it began These agreements make sure construction Is top notch On time, on task And by the way On budget There's another big deal Buy American That's been the law since 1930 I gotta admit I've been around I'm only 40 but I've been around a long time But I quite frankly until 10 years ago Wasn't aware, you know back in the 30's When they were trying to make sure Unions could organize and business Couldn't disappear The law was passed that said Every penny the president gets From the Senate, the House and Congress To spend on a project He should hire an American worker And use an American product In past administrations Seriously Past administrations Including my Predecessors failed to buy America They shipped jobs overseas where labor Was cheaper and brought home The product that was more expensive But not anymore Federal projects build American roads Bridges, highways Made with American products By American workers That's why I'm serious It's simple and basic That's why we're paying so many good paying jobs In fact we're requiring those kinds of Projects to pay Davis Baker prevailing wages So there are jobs that can raise a family arm Many of those jobs Don't require a college degree In fact we expanded registered apprenticeships Remember all the hell I got for doing that We got for doing that Well guess what Resulted in hiring over 1 million apprentices Since we came to office Lots of folks don't realize Getting an apprenticeship Is like getting a college degree Why? You have to train for 4 or 5 years To get that And some of the best workers in the world Arrive where we are You know When you're in Pittsburgh You're standing with steel workers Let's be clear I believe in American steel companies American owned And operated steel companies For simple reasons It's not hyperbole American steel workers are the best steel workers In the world And I made it clear Last time I was in Pittsburgh United States Steel An iconic American company For more than a century And it's going to remain an American company Remember the young senator Why at that time so anti-labor Was set up to help labor And pro-labor Well guess what That's why one of the most significant things we've done Kamala and I Is appoint a national board That actually believes and recognizes American steel It's a big deal Remember We have short memories I'm all for forgiveness I'm not for this Trump appointed union busters on that board No that's a fact But it's real It affects people's lives Are we going to let that son of a gun do that again Folks We made a lot of progress Kamala and I are going to build on that progress And she's going to build on it I'll be on the sidelines But I'll do everything I can to help But look I'm not joking when I say This is not a joke When I said this when I was running in 2020 A lot of people didn't believe me You did but didn't believe me It's all at risk because of Donald Trump Literally With a stroke of the pen he can get rid of a lot of this And do you think this guy gives a damn about your pensions No I'm serious Do you think he'd lose even an instant of sleep over it Do you think he cares about All the work you do everyday and how hard it is No Do you think he cares about good paying jobs For hard working people who built this economy No Hell He regards picket lines He'd rather cross one than walk one But I have no problem walking a picket line Never have Nor does Kamala We'll always walk Alongside you Union workers built this country Again that's not hyperbole that's a fact These are facts These are not campaign slogans Let me close with this Five years ago I began my campaign for president right here in Pittsburgh I said one of the reasons I was running Was to rebuild the backbone And spine of America The middle class The working class folks Not a joke Think about it Five years later we've done just that I'm back in Pittsburgh on Labor Day again With a simple message As you look at this election I spent my whole career Believing in unions I'm not joking when I say that I'm honored to be considered The most pro-union president ever By the way Remember all the talk Biden got elected he's going to do a planned economy We're going to collapse and we're going to be all this caving in Interest rates are going to go Come on man I'm here to tell you It's about increasing the strength of your unions If you care about hard working people Just give them a fair shot Everyone in America deserves a fair shot A fair shot If you care about the dignity of work And I mean it matters The dignity of work The way you're treated The decency I remember when My great grandfather was one of the Only second Catholic elected statewide In the state senate here in Pennsylvania I remember They talked about When they were running against him in 1906 They said guess what They said he's Amali Maguire You know Amali Maguire? Well those of you who don't Amali Maguire back in the old days When the Irish and the Catholic came And then the Poles and others That were Catholic When they came to the United States of America In the beginning of the 1840s Late 1840s They made their way down In Pennsylvania And there's a tear in the coal mines Those guys who got their land A lot of the English owned the coal mines And what they did was They really beat the hell out of The mostly Catholic population And I'm not a joke But there was a group Called Amali Maguire Taking advantage of an individual And they literally killed him Not a joke And they bring him body up And put him on the doorstep of his family Kind of crude But I gotta admit They accused my great grandfather of being Amali But he wasn't And we were so damn disappointed That's a joke It's about the dignity of work It's about how you're treated And when I met with the IBW And I started off this last campaign At first I said there's two things I'm asking of me And I said two things I'm asking of you One You gotta open up your unions to more women Not a joke And two To more minorities You've done both that And guess what Instead of having support of 30% Now we're 65% Support the American Union Movement It really is all about The dignity of work Let me tell you about this woman I know her I trust her Not a joke Number two The first decision I made To nominate as nominee in 2020 Was selecting her as my Vice President It was the single best decision I made as President of the United States of America I was watching something Sent to me when they asked Barack They said Barack picked me as Vice President Because he knew I could be President I know she'll be I watched it when all the experts Foreign and domestic policy Would give us advice Then we'd sit alone in a room And she has a backbone like a ramrod And she has the moral compass Of a saint This woman knows what she's doing I promise you If you elect Kamala Harris as President It'll be the best decision you will have ever made Kamala It means as I do The unions are the spine Of this economy She'll be a historic pro-union President So folks We got one more job to do together Let me ask you Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to win? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris Our next President of the United States of America? And in the process Are you ready to make Donald Trump A loser again? I've never been more Optimistic about America We have to remember who we are We're the United States of America There's nothing I mean this from the bottom of my heart There's nothing beyond our capacity When we do it together And that means elect my friend Our great Vice President And it is good to be back At IBEW Local 5 And can we please Give it up again for our President Joe Biden Now I don't have to tell The Brothers and Sisters of Labor That you really get to know somebody When you're in the middle of a fight When times are hard When the forces are mighty When people don't believe Something can get done And they have a thousand excuses For why it can't get done And I have spent more time With this extraordinary human being When the cameras were not in the room When the stakes were high When the heat Was intense And Joe Biden has always Stood with the workers Of America And labor unions of America Always Folks into the Oval Office And you know how Joe can get sometimes He doesn't spare words Sometimes the cameras are not in the room When he has those conversations Because the thing About Joe Biden I know And I know you know Because he has been a friend of labor For so long For his whole life Joe Biden can be quite impatient And that's a good thing For that kind of leader Quite impatient And I say to all Of the friends here The press that's in the room History will show What we here know Joe Biden has been One of the most transformative Presidents in the United States That we have ever Witnessed And it comes from his heart And you know Joe and I Talk a lot about the fact that we are So proud to be the most Pro-union administration In America's history And I thank you And as we know Joe's still got a lot of work to do So let's also understand that So I want to thank all the Incredible leaders who are here today Including the Governor Shapiro Lieutenant Governor Davis, Senator Casey Who we will re-elect this November Mayor Gainey President Schuller President Cooper All the leaders of labor Who are here All the union members who are here So I'll just get right to a few points I love Labor Day I love celebrating Labor Day And Pittsburgh of course Is a cradle of the American Labor movement It is the birthplace of the AFL Headquarters of the steelworkers Home to Firefighters Local 1 And of course the historic IBEW Local 5 For more than 150 years The brothers and sisters of labor have helped Lead the fight For fair pay, better benefits And safe working conditions And every person in our Nation has benefited From that work You know everywhere I go I tell people You may not be a union member But you better thank unions For that five day work week Thank unions For sick leave Thank unions For paid family leave Vacation time Because when unions work Everybody's wages go up When union workplaces are safer All workplaces are safer When unions are strong America is strong And we are To be clear Not only has Pittsburgh Shaped the history of America's Labor movement Today you are also shaping Its future In 2021 With my dear friend Secretary Marty Walsh Who the President appointed To be Secretary of Labor He and I hosted a meeting Right here in this local And it was part of the White House Labor Task Force that I lead That day we met with a group of Computer programmers Who were working to form a union One month later they signed Their contract and became One of the first technology unions In our nation Standing on the shoulder Of all those who have been Here and fought the good fight So Pittsburgh I remind us of that to say together We are fighting to build An economy that works for all Working people And that Has always been the vision Of the labor movement And that is the vision Of our campaign You know in this election There are two very different visions For our nation One, ours, focused on The future The other, focused on the past We Fight for the future We fight For a future Of dignity Respect and opportunity For all people We fight Knowing it's some backward thinking For those folks who have been Suggesting for years That the measure of the Strength of a leader Is based on who you beat down You know that's the stuff they're pushing That the measure of the Strength of a leader is based on who you Beat down when we know the true Measure of the strength of a leader is Based on who you lift up Who you lift up Do you fight for workers? Do you fight for families? Do you fight for them? So we're 64 days out from this election Ballots in Pennsylvania Will start dropping in 14 days 14 days And this election is As much as anything else A fight for the promise Of America Promise of America We love our country And we know it is one of the highest Forms of patriotism To fight for the ideals Of our country And that's what this election is about And about the promise Of America And I don't need to tell unions What the promise looks like It's what you do every day But as we Fight to move forward Donald Trump is trying to pull us backwards Including back to a time Before workers had the freedom To organize Well the courts Will handle that And we will handle November How about that November Let the courts handle that But we're not going back We're not going back And one of the ways We're going to guarantee we don't go back Is that we remember It is important to remember what that was And what it is Remember as president Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits For millions of workers He opposed efforts To raise the minimum wage As the president Said he appointed Union busters to the National labor relations board And don't forget He supported so called right to work Laws And if Donald Trump were to be Reelected he intends to give More tax cuts to billionaires And big corporations He intends to cut social security And medicare He wants to impose What in effect would be a national Sales tax, I call it the Trump National sales tax On everyday products and basic Necessities that would cost a typical American family, the economists have said this Almost $4000 a year He intends to repeal the affordable care Act And take us back to what we remember Because it wasn't that long ago Was a time when insurance companies Could deny people with pre-existing Conditions You remember what that was Children With asthma, breast cancer survivors Grandparents with diabetes Well look America has tried Those failed policies Before and we are Not going back And instead We fight for a Future where no Person has to go broke just Because they get sick And so building On the work of President Joe Biden And I and the work we have done in the White House we will continue to strengthen The affordable care act and make Prescription drugs affordable for All Americans We We fight for A future where every Worker has the freedom To organize and we will pass The pro act We See and know and fight For a future Where every person Has the opportunity not just To get by but to Get ahead And so We will continue To build what I call an opportunity Economy So that every American has an Opportunity to buy a home or start A business or build intergenerational Wealth and have A future That matches their dreams And ambitions and aspirations Because of course That's the nature of who we are As Americans We have dreams We can see what is possible Unburdened by what has been We have aspirations We have ambitions And the system that is a good System is one that supports That and allows people The opportunity To go where they can see and imagine Themselves to be That's what I'm talking about when I talk about An opportunity economy We fight for a future Where every senior can retire with dignity And so we will continue To defend social security and medicare And pensions And we will continue To strengthen America's Manufacturing Sector and on that point The president mentioned it U.S. Steel is an historic American company And it is vital for our Nation to maintain strong American steel companies And I couldn't agree more with president Biden U.S. Steel Should remain American owned And American operated And I will Always So friends 64 days Until the most election Of our lives And probably one of the most important In the life of our nation Truly And we know this is going to be A tight race to the very end It's going to be a tight race To the very end So let's not pay too much attention To those polls Because as unions And labor knows best We know what it's like To be the underdog And we are the underdog in this race And we have some hard work Then ahead of us But here's the beauty of us in this room We like hard work Hard work is good work The strength, the determination And the hard work of the leaders in this room To knock on doors, to get folks To the polls And bluntly put Because the people in here do it To help us win Pennsylvania So today I ask Are you ready to make your voices heard? Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in opportunity? Do we believe in the Pretend to fight for it? We win! God bless you God bless America