Bernie Sanders speaks at DNC labor caucus

CHICAGO — It was not difficult to track down Rock County delegates Shawn Reents and Garrik Harwick Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.

Reents and Harwick are both with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union. The DNC hosted a labor caucus meeting at McCormick Place with Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont.

Reents, from Janesville, is an IBEW international representative and Evansville’s Harwick is the assistant business manager of IBEW Local 890 in Janesville.

Sanders pointed out lingering problems faced by unions in the United States.

“Despite all the advances in technology, we are seeing the lowest wages in 50 years,” Sanders said. “With corporate America it’s a culture. They say there’s nothing they can’t do, and they say they own the media.”

Sanders revealed results of a poll that demonstrates how labor issues are aligned with what the majority of Americans need.

“Our poll showed that 70% of Americans across the political spectrum believe that in a competitive global economy everyone should get the education they need,” Sanders said. “We could lift the Social Security tax level and preserve the program for another 75 years.

“Seventy percent of Americans agree with that,” he said. “The poll showed 70% of Americans want to expand Social Security benefits,” he said. “Labor demands are the demands of the American people.”

Another speaker at the labor caucus, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fein, highlighted how President Joe Biden, Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, all walked picket lines for labor.

“It’s a question of which side are you on,” Fein said. “Either you are like Trump and you don’t give a damn about workers, or you stand with workers.”

Harwick said he was particularly interested in comments by Kenneth Cooper, the international president of IBEW.

“We’re very excited at IBEW for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Harwick said. “We’re eager to get out there and spread the word on what they do to support organized labor.”

Reents said the IBEW and other labor unions are advocating for the Harris Walz team because all workers will be better off with a Harris administration.

“It’s not just unions that benefit from a labor friendly administration,” Reents said. “This is a labor movement — a worker movement that benefits everyone.”

Labor has ramped up its involvement compared to past campaigns, Harwick said.

“I think we are getting the messaging out earlier now,” Harwick said. “Trump said he was helping workers, and now we know he wasn’t. It may have been that we didn’t educate our members well enough, but that won’t happen this time.”

Reents said the Biden Harris administration demonstrated support for workers.

“They know the issues — that’s not a problem,” he said. “But when you see them out on the picket lines, that shows everyone the level of their support.”

Reents credited Biden and Harris for strengthening the program preserving pension plans.

“That was a huge win for all workers, including those who were not in a union,” Reents said. “Again, that’s what this is about — all workers benefiting from a pro-labor administration.”

UAW President Fein summed up the attitude of labor’s involvement in the presidential election. “Stand up, show up and speak up for Kamala Harris.”