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"You don't drain the swamp by bringing more billionaires into your administration than any [U.S.] president" Sen. Bernia Sanders (I-Vt.) told the crowd in Indianopolis. (Photo: ABC News/Twitter)
Calling Trump an "Embarrassment," Sanders Says Organized Labor Key to Nation's Future
"We're not going to rebuild the shrinking middle class unless we rebuild the trade union movement," declares Sen. Bernie Sanders at Indiana rally
Aug 21, 2017
As part of a multi-stop tour through midwest states this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) addressed organized workers in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday and told them that even as President Donald Trump is an "embarrassment" for equivocating on white supremacy and racism, it will take a re-energized labor movement to take the nation back from the billionaire class and powerful corporate interests that now grip the nation's Republican-controlled government.
Speaking at a rally hosted by the Communication Workers of America, Good Jobs Nation, and Our Revolution, Sanders blasted the president as he drove home the need for a galvanized a grassroots movement that would fight on behalf of working class families and cut beyond racial division.
"We're not going to rebuild the shrinking middle class unless we rebuild the trade union movement," declared Sanders. The Independent senator from Vermont also confirmed that "When Congress reconvenes, I will introduce legislation calling for a Medicare-for-All program."
In addition, Sanders condemned Trump's terrible response to the violence fomented and carried out by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia last week:
\u201c.@BernieSanders: "What an embarrassment it is that we have a president who cannot condemn in unequivocal terms" white supremacists.\u201d— ABC News Politics (@ABC News Politics) 1503347034
Watch the full rally via Facebook Live:
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
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bernie sanderscharlottesvillefacebooklabormedicare for allour revolutionsingle-payertechnologytrumpismwhite supremacyworkers
As part of a multi-stop tour through midwest states this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) addressed organized workers in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday and told them that even as President Donald Trump is an "embarrassment" for equivocating on white supremacy and racism, it will take a re-energized labor movement to take the nation back from the billionaire class and powerful corporate interests that now grip the nation's Republican-controlled government.
Speaking at a rally hosted by the Communication Workers of America, Good Jobs Nation, and Our Revolution, Sanders blasted the president as he drove home the need for a galvanized a grassroots movement that would fight on behalf of working class families and cut beyond racial division.
"We're not going to rebuild the shrinking middle class unless we rebuild the trade union movement," declared Sanders. The Independent senator from Vermont also confirmed that "When Congress reconvenes, I will introduce legislation calling for a Medicare-for-All program."
In addition, Sanders condemned Trump's terrible response to the violence fomented and carried out by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia last week:
\u201c.@BernieSanders: "What an embarrassment it is that we have a president who cannot condemn in unequivocal terms" white supremacists.\u201d— ABC News Politics (@ABC News Politics) 1503347034
Watch the full rally via Facebook Live:
As part of a multi-stop tour through midwest states this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) addressed organized workers in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday and told them that even as President Donald Trump is an "embarrassment" for equivocating on white supremacy and racism, it will take a re-energized labor movement to take the nation back from the billionaire class and powerful corporate interests that now grip the nation's Republican-controlled government.
Speaking at a rally hosted by the Communication Workers of America, Good Jobs Nation, and Our Revolution, Sanders blasted the president as he drove home the need for a galvanized a grassroots movement that would fight on behalf of working class families and cut beyond racial division.
"We're not going to rebuild the shrinking middle class unless we rebuild the trade union movement," declared Sanders. The Independent senator from Vermont also confirmed that "When Congress reconvenes, I will introduce legislation calling for a Medicare-for-All program."
In addition, Sanders condemned Trump's terrible response to the violence fomented and carried out by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia last week:
\u201c.@BernieSanders: "What an embarrassment it is that we have a president who cannot condemn in unequivocal terms" white supremacists.\u201d— ABC News Politics (@ABC News Politics) 1503347034
Watch the full rally via Facebook Live:
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LATEST NEWS
Lawsuit Says Union-Busting Trump Order Is 'Unconstitutional' Attack on Working Class
One union leader called President Donald Trump's executive order "the most significant assault on collective bargaining rights we have ever seen in the United States."
Apr 04, 2025
A coalition of labor unions representing federal workers across the United States sued the Trump administration on Friday over its recent order aimed at stripping union rights from more than a million government employees, a move that the lawsuit characterizes as a blatant violation of the First Amendment.
The suit, brought by unions that collectively represent more than 950,000 federal workers, stems from a March 27 order titled "Exclusions From Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs," in which President Donald Trump cites a provision of a 1978 law to deny collective bargaining rights to certain government workers on national security grounds.
But the unions behind the new lawsuit say the national security justification is a smokescreen to hide the true intent of the order: further eroding workers' organizing rights.
"Federal employees have had the right to join a union and bargain collectively for decades—through multiple wars, international conflicts, and a global health emergency during President Trump's first term," said Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees. "During all that time, they served the American people with honor and distinction. No one, including President Trump, ever suggested unions were a national security concern."
"Trump's newest order to revoke union rights is a clear case of retaliation," he added. "But I've got news for him: We are not going anywhere."
The lawsuit points specifically to language included in a fact sheet the White House released in conjunction with Trump's March 27 order. The document claims that "certain federal unions have declared war on President Trump's agenda," citing AFGE lawsuits against the administration and legal actions by Veterans Affairs unions.
Shortly after Trump signed the order last week, the administration sued AFGE and many of its local affiliates in federal court in an attempt to cancel dozens of collective bargaining agreements between unions and federal agencies. Reuters noted that the administration claimed the union contracts are impeding "Trump's abilities to purge the federal workforce and protect national security."
"The labor movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration's union-busting tactics silence us."
The unions' new lawsuit states that the "avowedly retaliatory nature" of Trump's executive order and its "attempt to punish federal unions who engage in politically disfavored speech and petitioning activities and decline to 'work with' the president renders it unconstitutional under the First Amendment."
The lawsuit also notes that billionaire Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and a top Trump lieutenant, has used his social media platform to promote a recent post that attacked several federal workers' unions by name.
"The president's unlawful executive order attacking federal unions is not only an attack on a million federal workers but is a direct attack on all workers who seek a collective voice to bargain for a better future," April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement Friday. "This is blatant retaliation against brave workers who dared to exercise their First Amendment rights to criticize this administration's authoritarian overreach. The labor movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration’s union-busting tactics silence us."
Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), called Trump's order "the most significant assault on collective bargaining rights we have ever seen in the United States" and said it is "clear that this executive order is retaliation for federal unions fighting back against the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle the civil service."
"This is yet another direct attack by the President not only on federal employees, but also veterans, working families, and the very fabric of our democracy," said Erwin. "However, federal workers' collective bargaining rights are protected by law and President Trump does not have the right to unilaterally eliminate them. NFFE and our allies are confident the rule of law will be upheld, and the critical rights of working people will be protected."
Poll Has AOC Leading Schumer by Nearly 20 Points in 2028 New York Primary
"What AOC is doing is leadership—and people see that," said one observer.
Apr 04, 2025
A poll released Friday from the progressive think tank Data for Progress has Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez besting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also a Democrat, by 19 points in a hypothetical matchup in the 2028 New York primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
According to the poll, which was was first shared exclusively with Politico, 55% of voters said they would cast a ballot for Ocasio-Cortez or leaned toward supporting her, and 36% said they would support Schumer or leaned toward supporting him, with 9% undecided.
The only subgroup that supported Schumer over Ocasio-Cortez were moderates, who favored Schumer 50%-35%, with 15% undecided. Ocasio-Cortez carried all other subgroups with an outright majority, except for voters over the age of 45, 49% of whom said they would support her or leaned toward supporting her.
The poll—while several years out from the actual race—comes in the wake of Schumer's decision to throw his support behind a Republican-backed spending bill in early March, a move that roiled his own party and prompted calls for him to step aside from his leadership position in the Senate.
The episode also sparked murmurs among some Democrats that Ocasio-Cortez should consider a primary bid against Schumer in 2028.
The poll was conducted March 26-31 and surveyed 767 likely Democratic primary voters in New York state. According to Data for Progress, the polling indicated that the hypothetical matchup between Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer is "relatively static" and does not shift when voters are offered more information about the respective candidates.
Ocasio-Cortez recently declined to speak about a potential run for Senate in 2028, according to Politico.
"Replacing Chuck Schumer with AOC would be an incredible upgrade. I guess we'll have to wait four more years…," wrote Bhaskar Sunkara, president of The Nation.
Zephyr Teachout, a professor at the Fordham University School of Law, shared Politico's reporting on the poll and wrote: "Good morning to leadership and fighting oligarchy!"
"What I mean is that what AOC is doing is leadership—and people see that," added Teachout, who also highlighted that the poll found that an overwhelming majority of respondents, 84%, want their leaders to do more to resist the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Another observer, market researcher Adam Carlson, highlighted that despite Schumer's loss in the hypothetical race, most respondent subgroups still view him favorably, according to the poll. Besides "very liberal" voters and those between ages 18-44, Schumer stands at over 50% "favorable" among all other subgroups surveyed.
"People just want a changing of the guard," said Carlson.
China Retaliates Against Trump 'Bullying' With 34% Tariffs on All US Goods
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners," said China's foreign ministry. "We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing."
Apr 04, 2025
The Chinese government on Friday responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs with 34% import duties on all American goods beginning next week, intensifying global blowback against the White House and accelerating a worldwide financial market tailspin.
China's tariffs on U.S. imports, which match the tariffs the Trump administration moved this week to impose on Chinese goods, are set to take effect on April 10. Trump's 34% tariffs on Chinese imports come on top of the 20% tariffs the U.S. president imposed earlier this year.
"The U.S. approach does not conform to international trade rules, seriously damages China's legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice," China's Ministry of Finance said in a Friday statement.
Additionally, China's Commerce Ministry announced immediate export restrictions on rare earth materials and "added 16 entities from the U.S., including High Point Aerotechnologies and Universal Logistics Holdings Inc., to its export control list," according to the state-run China Daily.
"Under the new rule," the outlet reported, "Chinese companies are prohibited from exporting dual-use items to these 16 U.S. entities. Any ongoing related export activities should be immediately halted, said the Ministry of Commerce."
Retaliatory tariffs from the world's second-largest economy mark the latest step in a global trade war launched by the Trump White House, which—despite warnings of disastrous impacts for working-class U.S. households and the broader economy—plowed ahead this week with a 10% universal tariff on imports and larger tariffs on a number of trading partners, including China.
Following Trump's official tariff announcement, Beijing condemned the duties as "unacceptable" and vowed to "take measures as necessary to firmly defend [China's] legitimate interests."
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners. Protectionism leads nowhere," said the spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Thursday. "We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing, and resolve trade differences with China and other countries through consultation with equality, respect, and mutual benefit."
Other nations hit by Trump's tariffs are expected to respond in the coming days.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Thursday that the E.U. was "already finalizing the first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel, and we are now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that "we are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures."
"In a crisis, it's important to come together and it's essential to act with purpose and with force," Carney added. "And that's what we will do."
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