Sanders sticking to the union issues at AFL-CIO Convention

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had a number of campaign stops in Philadelphia Wednesday and Thursday.  His speech to union members Thursday morning was toned down compared with a rally the night before at Temple University.

At Temple University’s Liacouras Center Wednesday night, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders opened fire on rival Hillary Clinton.

He said she is unfit to be the next president for an array of reasons … from taking campaign donations from Wall Street to voting for the war in Iraq when she was in the Senate.

“I don’t think you are qualified if you have supported every disastrous trade agreement which has cost us millions of decent-paying jobs,” Sanders said.

At the AFL-CIO Convention, Sanders was not on the attack.  Instead he spoke a language that was music to the ears of  labor unions, including calls for easing the regulations to approve a union in a business.

“Which will make it easier not harder for working people to join unions … 50 percent plus one in a bargaining unit signs a card, we’ve got a union,” he said.

The speech excited many union members, including influential International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 head John Dougherty, who said Democrats have two good candidates.

“We’re finally back in a position where people understand.  It’s no longer just a rumor, the facts are without a union you don’t have a middle class,” Dougherty said.  “There’s nothing they are talking about that isn’t us, the labor movement, the Philadelphia building trades, the AFL-CIO.  They’re talking about us.”

Dougherty said he is already speaking with the young Sanders supporters about coming to help with the Clinton campaign if the former Secretary of State is the nominee.