Bernard Sanders: “it is no secret that all over America, large corporations are forcing down the wages and benefits that their workers…”

“it is no secret that all over America, large corporations are forcing down the wages and benefits that their workers receive. In the last 20 years, while the richest people in our country have grown richer, the real wages of American production workers have gone down by over 20 percent. Mr. Speaker, if America is not to become a Third World economy where workers slave away for $5 or $6 an hour with no benefits, the impoverishment of our working people must stop--and stop now. Within that context, I am very proud to inform you that in Springfield, VT, the workers at the Fellows Corp., members of Local 218 of the United Electrical Workers of America, have been on strike now for 3 weeks, and are fighting back with great courage against the efforts of that company to slash their wages, their health benefits, and the pension plan that they have fought so hard to obtain. All of the workers of Vermont and America owe the members of United Electrical Local 218 a debt of gratitude for their struggle, because they are fighting not only for their rights, but for the rights of all Vermont and American workers. We can no longer allow corporate America to grind down the working class of this country. Our working people, and their children, must be treated with dignity and respect, and I want to thank the United Electrical members at the Fellows Corp. for reminding us of that.”