First Lady Jill Biden Energizes Chicago Labor Unions with ‘Bidenomics’ Pitch
First Lady Jill Biden made a passionate appeal to Chicago’s labor unions on Wednesday during a pre-Labor Day celebration. Her goal was to leverage their support and promote her husband’s economic policies, known as Bidenomics, to voters who are dissatisfied with the current state of the economy. Speaking to hundreds of labor leaders overlooking Lake Michigan at McCormick Place, Biden proudly declared herself a card-carrying union member and emphasized the crucial role of unions in rebuilding the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.
The Biden administration has been actively promoting Bidenomics since President Joe Biden introduced the concept in June at an event in Chicago. The White House aims to highlight the economic successes of infrastructure programs, clean air initiatives, research in computer chip manufacturing, and other sectors, in an effort to counteract sluggish job approval ratings and address concerns about inflation.
During her address, Jill Biden encouraged the audience to familiarize themselves with Bidenomics and highlighted the transformative vision for the economy put forth by President Biden. She pointed to the creation of more than 13 million jobs and a unemployment rate under 4% as evidence of the administration’s commitment to economic growth.
President Biden has been a long-time advocate for labor unions, which continue to play a crucial role in his bid for re-election next year. Heading the Chicago Federation of Labor, Bob Reiter reminded guests of Biden’s pledge to be the most pro-union president in history.
Jill Biden, drawing from her own experiences within the middle class and her understanding of the positive impact of unions, emphasized the importance of workers having a voice and fighting for better pay, safer working conditions, flexible employment, and healthcare. She stated that unions were instrumental in building the middle class, and President Biden is dedicated to supporting their cause.
Reiter highlighted significant labor victories over the past year, such as the voter approval of a state constitutional amendment granting the right to organize and the election of union organizer Brandon Johnson as mayor. He also noted Chicago’s rich labor history, which played a part in the city securing the Democratic National Convention for next year.
Jill Biden’s visit to Chicago is part of a series of trips backed by the White House, indicating the administration’s commitment to various important causes. Her visit on Wednesday followed a stop in the Indianapolis area as part of a back-to-school tour. After spending the night in Chicago, she is scheduled to travel to Milwaukee for a cancer prevention event on Thursday.
As the first lady continues to advocate for Bidenomics and President Biden’s policies, it remains to be seen how Chicago’s labor union leaders and their members will respond. But her impassioned speech and personal connection to the working class undoubtedly left an impression on those in attendance and served to further solidify the administration’s commitment to addressing the needs of workers.
