This morning John Edwards spoke before the Laborers' International Union of North America's 2007 Leadership Conference (LiUNA). Once again, Edwards was on fire. He did not mince any words. Here's five minutes of the speech:
Audio of the entire speech below.
This afternoon, John Edwards is scheduled to speak at - before the SEIU. Watch it with me!
First, a little about LiUNA:
The Laborers are one of the fastest-growing unions in North America. Laborers fight for more opportunity for workers and employers, and for better wages, good benefits and safe jobsites. Laborers build everything from skyscrapers to tunnels. Laborers make buildings safe by removing hazardous materials like asbestos and lead. Laborers serve the public in hospitals and government across the continent. Laborers unite for the voice we deserve in important political issues.
Members run the union, electing officers at all levels and participating in the day-to-day affairs of their local unions. Members set priorities for contracts and are the key in the union's growth and success at increasing market share.
LiUNA
I have audio of the whole speech here: Edwards speaks to LiUNA
Video is above.
Edwards critiqued Hillary Clinton's approach:
The lesson Senator Clinton seems to have learned from her experience with health care is, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.' I learned a very different lesson from decades of fighting powerful interests - you can never join 'em, you just have to beat 'em.
But it was more than about Clinton and health care. He talked about his work organizing workers the last few years:
I don't just talk the talk, I walk the walk.
Organize, organize, organize!
If you can join the Republican Party by signing your name to a card, you should be able to join a union the same way."
When John Edwards is president and workers strike,
Nobody will be able to walk through that picket line and take your job away.
Edwards has favored the banning of permanent strike breakers fro a while now:
He advocated for the banning of the hiring of permanent replacements for striking workers and said workers should be able to unionize without opposition from businesses.
June 17, 2007 Iowa City Press-Citizen
Today, he again talked about the need to grow unions in order to build the middle class.
"The greatest anti-poverty movement in American history is the organized labor movement."
And he called again for a raise of the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012, and for it to be indexed to inflation.
Now, here's a little about SEIU
SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America, with 1.9 million members in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Focused on uniting workers in four sectors–-hospital systems, long term care, property services, and public services–-SEIU is the largest health care union, the largest property services union, and the second-largest public employees union.
SEIU
Both are Change to Win unions.
Andy Stern, president of SEIU, about the 2008 election:
As I told my union sisters and brothers this afternoon, 2008 is our chance to elect "a president who we don’t have to lobby or beg as if making work pay was some type of special interest —and who knows in their gut that what’s good for workers and unions is good for America." I am confident that we are going to do that next year, and in the process restore hope and opportunity for the people who do the work in this country.
Andy Stern September 16, 2007
Tentative Schedule for SEIU:
4:10 – 4:50 p.m. Senator Hillary Clinton
4:50 – 5:30 p.m. Senator John Edwards
I have two links for the JRE speech. You can watch it at either place:
SEIU link
and
cnn.com link
John Edwards is the candidate of working women and men in America! He will work to grow unions as president and to enforce labor laws!
Update: Edwards went early and just finished. We will try to have video on EENR tonight if it is available on YouTube.
UPDATE II:
Edwards draws to a close by declaring that despite his wife's ill health, "This is the cause of my life. ... It's clear what I'm going to do. The question is, what are you going to do?" He says he feels the energy of the Civil Rights movement in the movement to end the Iraq war. "Brothers and sisters, like Dr. King, I can see the promised land, it's there, it's right in front of us, the question is, will we have the courage to go in step there? Will we lead? The only thing I ask all of you is to trust your heart. You know what to do!"
Edwards asks again, "Do you believe?" and the audience jumps up screaming and clapping and cheering. They are with him as he intones "God bless you all," and blows them a kiss.
Posted by Dana Goldstein on September 17, 2007 05:47 PM
Tapped
UPDATE III. From NCDemAmy in the comments:
John Edwards: Closing Remarks at the SEIU Conference