Today I spoke at the Nebraska State AFL-CIO COPE Convention, something I've been looking forward to for a long time. I believe that when unions in Nebraska succeed, all Nebraskans succeed. The right to organize and bargain collectively are critical to raising wages, strengthening the middle class, and securing the economic fairness every worker deserves, and all Nebraskan workers, families, and communities benefit from that. 

We know that unions helped build America’s middle class. We know that workers everywhere can expect safety in the workplace thanks to labor. We know that workers everywhere can expect retirement security and pensions thanks to labor. We know that workers everywhere have better wages and reasonable hours thanks to labor. The fight for social security, for healthcare, for equal pay for women, for a living wage—we have labor to thank for that. Labor fights for values that keeps communities strong. And that is what we need here in Nebraska. 

I will always fight to make sure that workers have a seat at the table and a voice in decision-making – because when policy affects workers, when policy affects the middle class, these fights aren’t just about dollars, they’re about dignity. They’re about quality of life. And I will always stand up and speak out against those trying to rig the economy for corporations and the very wealthy in our society.