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More than a dozen Democrats running for president talked up their support for organized labor at a meeting of union leaders near Des Moines today (Wednesday).
In turn, they’re trying to win the support of union workers, who voted for the Democratic candidate in the last presidential election by a smaller margin than any other time in the past three decades.
Several candidates mentioned the Iowa Legislature’s 2017 actions, led by Republicans, that limited collective bargaining rights for public workers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was one of them. As part of his new pro-union plan, Sanders says he’ll make sure all public employees can bargain collectively.
“Not only for decent wages but for decent benefits, safe working conditions, and reliable schedules. In other words, we will essentially repeal the disastrous chapter 20 law that took away those rights in Iowa by a republican governor and that legislature.”
Sanders and other candidates also say they want to double union membership among Americans.
Former Vice President Joe Biden today said President Trump’s trade policies are “beating up” on American farmers and the administration’s ethanol waivers for oil companies are a “gigantic mistake.”
Radio Iowa reports that Biden appeared today during an hour-long forum in Ankeny hosted by Des Moines Area Community College and Iowa Public Television. His remarks on ethanol came at the same time Iowa’s Republican governor and ag secretary issued a statement, saying the EPA’s decision had broken Trump’s promise to farmers.
Trump has not commented on the new round of ethanol waivers, but Trump told reporters at the White House today that he is “the chosen one” to resolve trade issues with China.
