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| President "Joe Biden" speaks during a Labor Day event at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, in Philadelphia, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke). The Associated Press |
At a Labor Day visit in Philadelphia on Monday, President Joe Biden, who frequently claims to be the most pro-union president in history, emphasized the value of unions and praised American workers for fostering the economy.
The Democratic president discussed the economy's recovery from the devastating coronavirus outbreak as well as the steps his government has taken to pay for infrastructure upgrades. He also stressed the role that unions play in raising the middle class.
For Labor Day, Biden told the assembled audience, "We're celebrating jobs, good-paying jobs, jobs you can raise a family on, union jobs." The president walked around the stage while carrying the microphone and holding placards that said "UNION STRONG," instead of standing at the podium.
Labor Day, a holiday commemorating workers, falls during a period of increased job creation and increased unemployment, the highest levels since January. Biden is keen to emphasize these developments as he runs for reelection in 2024.
After learning that American companies gained 187,000 jobs in August, evidence of a weakening but still robust labor market despite the high interest rates the Federal Reserve has imposed, Biden delivered his Labor Day address this week.
According to the Labor Department's report released on Friday, the unemployment rate increased from 3.5% to 3.8%, which is still low by historical standards but the highest level since February 2022. But, the rate increased for a positive reason: 736,000 people started looking for employment last month, the highest number since January, and not all of them were immediately hired. Only those who are seeking work on a regular basis are counted as jobless.
The president repeatedly emphasized the value of middle-class employees to the economy, emphasizing that "everyone" benefits when the middle class prospers.
During the Tri-State Labor Day celebration in Philadelphia, hundreds of union members wearing T-shirts from their local organizations, including the Stagehands, United Food and Commercial Workers, and Sheet Metal Workers, waited to hear the president speak on a humid and muggy morning.
Philadelphia resident Lenny Nutter, who was sporting a yellow Laborers International Union t-shirt, said he went to the event to support Biden and added that in part because of the president's policies, unions have become more active than they once were.
As more people join unions, more jobs are being allocated to union employees, according to Nutter.
In addition to personally supporting unionization efforts at major corporations like Amazon, Biden has utilized executive measures to encourage worker organization. He has also approved government financing to support the pensions of union members. The Biden administration has proposed a new regulation that would expand overtime pay eligibility to 3.6 million more U.S. workers, the largest such increase in decades.
The president said to the throng, "Now you're going to get paid overtime."
Also, as part of the bicameral $1.1 trillion public works plans authorized by Congress in 2021, Biden has toured the nation praising union labor for their efforts in constructing bridges and enhancing railway tunnels.
Last week, Biden stated that "unions boost standards throughout the workforce and industry, pushing up salaries and enhancing benefits for everyone." "Wall Street didn't create America, as you've heard me say a lot. Unions helped the middle class grow, and the middle class helped build America.
The Philadelphia AFL-CIO, which, according to its website, is made up of more than 100 local labor unions representing more than 150,000 employees, is the organizer of the 36th annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade and Family Festival.
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