Bernie Sanders AFL-Cio Convention FULL Speech

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• published: 07 Apr 2016
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Bernie Sanders AFL-Cio Convention. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) faced a different audience while speaking before the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO convention at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel on Thursday. Sanders, a Democratic president democratic candidate, fit his message to the environment. His speech Wednesday centered on police brutality and inner-city struggles, but while addressing the experienced labor union advocates Thursday, he spent more time touting his strong stance against income inequality. Sanders focused on the middle class during his comments at the AFL-CIO convention, which was not open to the public, and was showered with several hearty rounds of applause and scattered "Ber-nie" chants. "We have to understand we live in a rigged economy," Sanders said. "The fact is for the last 30 or 40 years there has been a massive redistribution of wealth." Sanders event in Philly: 'Everything from weed to reparations' Sanders event in Philly: 'Everything from weed to reparations' "What Obama started and accomplished, I believe Sanders would take it even further. This will be a country where everyone shares in the American Dream" — Valerya McGriff, voter. Sanders' attempt at appeasing the audience at a black church and a labor union convention on back-to-back days hints at his wide-reaching approach in delegate-rich Pennsylvania, which holds its primary April 26. Though Sanders has won seven of the past eight contest, he still trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who addressed the AFL-CIO convention on Wednesday. Clinton used a broader approach to her speech, leading with Villanova's men's basketball team and touching on the differences between she and Sanders. Sanders' words were more direct and focused on his audience at the AFL-CIO convention. He mentioned his goal of raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour, his long-standing fight against cuts to social security and his hope for eliminating the gender wage gap. Sanders said trade unions created the middle class and are essential to the country's prosperity. "I believe that we need to pass legislation that will make it easier, not harder, to join labor unions," he said. Bernie Sanders speaks at labor union event in Philadelphia: recap Bernie Sanders speaks at labor union event in Philadelphia: recap Bernie Sanders continues Pa. campaigning at AFL-CIO convention. Sanders did not directly mention Clinton, though he did reference his distaste for the political establishment. Pennsylvania AFL-CIO president Rick Bloomingdale introduced Sanders and lauded the longtime Vermont lawmaker for his innovative campaign. "I can't tell you how proud I am that he has changed the debate in the presidential race on both sides," Bloomingdale said. "He has gotten Republicans to talk about income inequality, something we have not seen in probably 70 years." Polls released earlier this week suggest Clinton has the early lead among likely Democratic voters in Pennsylvania, but Sanders has appeared committed to making a strong push in the Keystone state. He made three appearances in a 27-hour span in Philadelphia, while Clinton traveled to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night and to New York after that. Former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton's husband, is in Philadelphia campaigning for his wife. Sanders, who held a press conference on labor issues at the Hilton Philadelphia in Penn's Landing before speaking at the AFL-CIO convention Thursday, hopes his work in Pennsylvania's largest city can outdo the efforts of his opponent's coalition. "What this campaign is about is asking the American people to think outside of the box, to not accept the status quo of where we are today," Sander said.