On Labor Day, Joe Biden visited Harrisburg and talked to union members and leaders, vowing to make labor and American workers the cornerstone of his presidency if he’s elected in November.
The Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president appeared at the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO office in downtown Harrisburg. He engaged in a virtual conversation with labor leaders.
Biden began talking with union members and officials just before 4:30 p.m. and spoke with them for more than 30 minutes. The AFL-CIO streamed the conversation on its Facebook page. You also can watch below:
Biden, a Scranton native, is expected to take questions from union members. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka introduced Biden, whom he described as a long-time friend and ally of labor. The event wasn’t open to the public.
In his remarks, Biden spoke forcefully about the importance of unions.
“Wall Street did not build this country,” Biden said. “You did, the great American middle class, and the middle class was built by unions.”
“I’ve never been afraid to say the word union,” Biden said. “You can be sure to hear the word ’union’ plenty of times when I’m in the White House.”
As president, Biden said he’d use the power of the Oval Office to ensure all workers and schools would have the personal protective equipment they need. He pledged to protect Social Security, warning that President Trump’s planned cuts would bankrupt the safety net by mid-2023.
Joe Biden arrives at the Pa. office of AFL-CIO in Harrisburg as a site to have a virtual chat with union members nationwide. September 07, 2020 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com
In his remarks to union workers, Biden faulted Trump’s leadership in the coronavirus pandemic, saying he failed to take the necessary steps to protect Americans. “He was worried if he’d start talking about saving lives, the stock market would fall,” Biden said.
He also said he’d be wary of a coronavirus vaccine touted by the Trump administration and would take it only if public health officials would assure it’s safe. “Only if it was completely transparent, only if we knew all that went into it,” Biden said, adding he can’t trust Trump “because so far nothing he’s told us is true.”
Biden also grew angrier when he criticized Trump for disparaging veterans. He cited a much-publicized report from The Atlantic magazine which said Trump referred to soldiers who were killed or captured as “losers” and “suckers.” Trump has denied referring to troops in that manner but Biden said Trump has shown disdain for soldiers.
Noting his late son Beau’s service in Iraq, Biden said he was close to losing his temper. “The simple truth is, if that’s how you talk about our veterans, you have no business being the president of the United States of America, period,” Biden said.
Joe Biden waves from a window at the Pa. office of AFL-CIO in Harrisburg after a virtual chat with union members nationwide. September 07, 2020 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com
Biden vowed to look out for teachers, noting his wife, Jill Biden, continued teaching even as he served as vice president.
“We’d better take care of teachers,” Biden said.
Earlier in the day, Biden met with a handful of union members in Lancaster; he and union officials sat outside and wore masks. Referencing his youth in Scranton, Biden said he grew up in a household that had a deep respect for unions.
“We knew who built the country,” Biden said in Lancaster. “We figured it out early on.”
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives for an event with local union members in the backyard of a home in Lancaster, Pa., Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)AP
In recent weeks, both Biden and Trump have made repeated appearances in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in the presidential election. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win Pennsylvania in nearly 30 years. Biden is aiming to move the Keystone State to the blue column.
Michael Joyce, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said a Biden presidency would weaken the economy.
“Simply put, Joe Biden would be a total and complete disaster for the working man and woman of Pennsylvania,” Joyce said. “Biden is incapable of delivering for Pennsylvanians while President Trump is leading us through the Great American Comeback.”
Joe Biden arrives at the Pa. office of AFL-CIO in Harrisburg as a site to have a virtual chat with union members nationwide. September 07, 2020 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com
Last week, Biden appeared in Pittsburgh, where he reiterated he would not ban fracking and assailed Trump for violence and rising tensions across the country. “He doesn’t want to shed light, he wants to generate heat, and he’s stoking violence in our cities,” Biden said last week.
Trump also visited Latrobe in western Pennsylvania last Thursday and focused his message on law and order.
“Biden’s plan is to appease the domestic terrorists and my plan is to arrest them and prosecute them,” Trump said at the Latrobe rally.
On Friday, both Biden and Trump are scheduled to observe the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in Shanksville, where one of the hijacked planes crashed.
Polls show a generally tight contest between Biden and Trump in Pennsylvania. The RealClearPolitics website shows Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania polls, but the average lead in the polls here shows a gap of 4.2 percentage points. In some polls, Biden’s lead is within the margin or error.
Biden previously visited Lancaster in June and promised to make sure all Americans have health care coverage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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