Anna Burger, Chair of Change to Win, addressed the Democratic National Convention here in Denver tonight. And she brought them a powerful message of hope for the future of the American Dream.
I grew up in Levittown, Pennsylvania in the 1950s believing in the American Dream.
My mom was a nurse, working the evening shift.
My dad, a Teamster truck driver, was permanently disabled in a terrible accident when I was nine.
Dad’s social security and Medicare - and Mom’s enormous strength - allowed my sisters, brother and me to stay together and even go to college without being buried by debt.
After I got my first union job, my dad gave me some good advice:
Dad said, “Anna, stick to the union, it’s what makes a difference for working people like us.”
Unions are the best all-in-one program for working families that America ever had - and it didn’t cost the taxpayers a dime.
My dad was right.
Unions help ordinary people, like me, like Pauline Beck, like truck drivers, nurses and retail, factory, office and construction workers who work hard to find a way to own a home, raise a family, send their kids to college and retire with dignity.
Our unions always help us pass on to our kids a better life than our own.
And we call the legacy the American Dream.
But today, the dream is fading.
After eight years of George W. Bush, work hours are up but wages are down.
And John McCain is offering more of the same.
The gap between the rich and the rest of America - it’s staggering and growing.
And John McCain is offering more of the same.
Nine in 10 workers have no union, while health care costs are exploding, pensions wiped out, job security a thing of the past.
Working people in this country can’t afford more of the same.
But that’s exactly what John McCain’s offering - more of the same.
Brothers and sisters, it is time for change, and I stand here today to tell you that working people all around this country know Barack Obama will bring the change we need.
Barack Obama believes in an America where workers have a voice on the job and their hard work is valued and rewarded.
Where health care is affordable and accessible, where corporations pay their fair share and workers are free to join a union without being harassed or intimidated.
Barack Obama believes in an America where we work with each other, take care of each other and where our kids do even better than we do.
Barack Obama will bring the change we need.
And when he is our President, working families around this country will again know that the American Dream is within the reach of everyone who calls this great country home.
UPDATE (9:15PM): Hark! Video!
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Comments (2)
Comments posted to CtW Connect are the sole property of the individual posting them, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Change to Win, its affiliated unions, or its leadership.
It's great to not only see so many voices from labor in Denver, but also to see a prominent voice from my neck of the woods on the stage. And to top it off, Anna gave a great speech.
Posted by Howard on August 27, 2008 at 7:03 AM
Posted on August 27, 2008 at 7:03 AM
What I like most about being a unionist is now seeing women like Anna Burger heading up a federation of unions like Change to Win. Honestly, can you imagine what Mother Jones is thinking right now? I bet her and Maud Younger (the Millionaire Waitress) are beaming just the way I am, with pride.
Posted by bendygirl on August 28, 2008 at 2:32 PM
Posted on August 28, 2008 at 2:32 PM