Biden talks about importance of labor unions, democracy in Labor Day speech in West Mifflin

President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of labor unions and democracy in a Labor Day speech Monday outside a Mon Valley union hall, while also touting his efforts to bring more infrastructure funding to Western Pennsylvania and boost manufacturing.

At a United Steelworkers hall in West Mifflin, Biden addressed labor union members, supporters and elected officials, including Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle.

Biden shared a story about first coming to Pittsburgh decades ago to earn the endorsement from the United Steelworkers, and how crucial it was in his campaign for U.S. Senate in Delaware back then. He said the union also played a pivotal role in him becoming president.

“You are the best trained, most skilled workers in the world,” he said to the crowd.

About 100 attendees took covid tests before the private event, which was held under a tent on a lawn in front of the union hall before Biden’s speech. The event came after Biden and his labor secretary, Marty Walsh, visited Milwaukee for another Labor Day event.

Biden also reiterated many aspects from a speech he made last week in Philadelphia, saying that former President Trump and “MAGA Republicans” don’t want to preserve democracy. He said voters have an important choice come November and criticized many in the Republican Party for supporting Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and support the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Biden said the country is at an inflection point where things could change rapidly if Trump and his most fervent supporters were to regain power.

“Democracy is really at stake,” said Biden. “You can’t be a democracy when you support (that) violence.”

Earlier in the day, Pittsburgh held its annual Labor Day parade, which is one of the largest in the nation. While in office and during his presidential campaign, Biden has made regular stops in the Pittsburgh area, usually meeting with labor unions.

In January, he visited Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood to talk about the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, which passed in late 2021.

At the West Mifflin speech, Biden touted the infrastructure act and vowed to return to Pittsburgh when the Fern Hollow Bridge replacement is complete. More than $25 million in funding from the infrastructure law was used for Fern Hollow Bridge’s replacement, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year. He also spoke about Pittsburgh International Airport receiving a $1.4 billion upgrade and federal funding allocated to improve locks and dams along the Ohio River.

Doyle, whose district includes West Mifflin, praised Democrats and Biden for their roles in passing the infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, covid relief funding and other bills.

“I have served under five presidents, and let me tell you something, there is no president that has accomplished this much in the first two years than Joe Biden,” said Doyle.

Some had speculated that Democratic candidates in tough races might avoid association with Biden, given his low approval rating in Pennsylvania. According to the latest poll from Emerson College, Biden holds a 39% approval in the state, while 57% disapprove of the job he is doing.

But several candidates in close races appeared with Biden at the West Mifflin event, including Fetterman, U.S. House candidate Chris Deluzio, lieutenant governor candidate Austin Davis and state Rep. candidate Arvind Venkat.

Biden mentioned Fetterman during his speech. “If I have to be in the fox hole, I want John Fetterman with me,” he said.

Fetterman met with Biden before the event, where the two discussed the infrastructure law, as well as Fetterman’s pushes to expand labor unions and increase domestic manufacturing, according to the Fetterman campaign. Fetterman said he also asked Biden to reschedule marijuana as a Schedule I federal drug, so that those convicted of nonviolent, marijuana-related offenses could have their records cleared.

During his short speech, Fetterman stumbled slightly through some sentences. Fetterman had a stroke in May. His doctors have cleared him to campaign and serve in the Senate, and he has acknowledged that his speech has not yet fully recovered from the stroke.