Teamsters president: Many issues affecting working class ‘untouched’ in first debate

The president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Thursday expressed concern about what he called inattention to issues affecting the working class in the first Democratic presidential debate Wednesday.

“It was encouraging in the first presidential primary debate to hear candidate after candidate talk about how unions are essential to creating and protecting good jobs and making our economy work for working people,” James P. Hoffa said in a statement Thursday morning following the Miami debate.

{mosads}However, he added, “many of the issues that impact working people every day were left untouched. Retired Americans are worried about losing their hard-earned pensions, and those who are working are worried about having a secure retirement.”

Such people, he added, are “concerned about big corporations trying to make it harder for workers to come together in a union to raise wages and improve jobs. And they’re worried about how our country’s trade policies will affect millions of good American jobs.”

The second of the first two debates, featuring 10 more candidates onstage, including front-runner former Vice President Joe Biden, is scheduled for Thursday night.

“As more candidates gather in Miami Thursday night, our 1.4 million members and working people across the country will look for a real, substantive conversation on these issues,” Hoffa wrote.