(Editor’s Note: The Teamsters President delivered the following remarks on behalf of working families before the Democratic National Convention on July 27.)
BOSTON, July 27 — I’m Jim Hoffa, and I’m in Boston this week to cast my vote for John Kerry as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. I am a Teamster, and I am proud of my fellow union members, who make up 25 percent of all delegates at this convention.
I’m also proud of the countless union members here in Boston, without whom we would not be participating in this great convention. The men and women who built this stage, lit this hall, televise this event for the rest of the nation, and protect us are all union members.
I am especially proud of the members of Teamsters Local 25 who work the loading dock here at the Fleet Center, loading and unloading every item that comes into this hall.
I’d like to take a moment to talk about someone who became a member of Teamsters Union back in the summer of 1962. He was working at First National Warehouse in Somerville, Massachusetts, and was a member of Teamsters Local 25. He would later become a decorated war hero, a fierce prosecutor, and a solid public servant to the people of Massachusetts. That Teamster is John Kerry.
I am proud that John Kerry has a union card. I know that he is one of us. I know his record on issues that matter to working families.
He believes that every American should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. He believes health care is a right, not a privilege. He opposes the outsourcing of American jobs and wants to repeal tax laws that encourage U.S. companies to relocate overseas. And he stands with the Teamsters in our effort to provide meaningful relief for multi-employer pension plans and the 10 million Americans they cover.
Unfortunately, this administration did not keep its word or its commitment to working Americans. I stand before you here today because I know that John Kerry will never leave a worker behind. I know that we might not always agree on everything — but I know that the joys, struggles, concerns, and cares of the American worker will never leave his mind.
And come January, I look forward to gathering with all of you again — this time in Washington, D.C. — to celebrate the inauguration of President John Kerry and Vice President John Edwards. God bless America. God bless working families. And God bless the Teamsters — The union makes us strong!