Watch: Kamala Harris receives endorsement from union leaders at DNC convention
Representatives of six unions spoke out in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic Party Convention.
Representatives of six of the largest unions in the United States were part of the panel of speakers that opened the Democratic Party convention in Chicago on Monday.
Most union leaders spoke about their experiences working with Vice President Kamala Harris and the support their groups have enjoyed during the Biden-Harris administration.
The Democratic National Committee convention is taking place in Chicago until Thursday, and Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to officially accept the party’s nomination for the 2024 election on Thursday.
- Who are you: Leaders from six different unions:
- Lee Saunders, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
- April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
- Brent Booker, President General of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA)
- Kenneth W. Cooper, International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
- Claude Cummings Jr., President of the Communications Workers of America (CWA)
- Elizabeth H. Shuler, President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
- What role do they play: The keynote speaker on the first night of the Republican National Committee convention in Milwaukee last month was Teamsters President Sean O’Brien. Democrats will welcome UAW President Shawn Fain to speak on Monday, along with the leaders of those six unions.
- Key quote: “We’re going to build a younger, grittier, hipper, fresher, sneaker-wearing labor movement,” Verrett said. “A movement that will be more inclusive and aimed at the middle class. And we’re going to put an end to poverty-wage work once and for all.”
When and where will the DNC take place
The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19 to 22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.
Chicago has hosted the Democratic National Convention eleven times, most recently in 1996, when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term at the United Center.
How to watch and stream the DNC 2024
The convention will be broadcast live on the organization’s website from the United Center in Chicago on Monday from 6:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time) and on the other days from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time).
USA TODAY will provide live stream coverage of the DNC every night Monday through Thursday on YouTube.
What are the themes for each night of the DNC?
The DNC announced the evening’s themes for the convention. The title of the convention is “For the People, For Our Future.”
Here are the topics for each evening:
- Monday: “For the people”
- Tuesday: “A bold vision for America’s future”
- Wednesday: “A fight for our freedoms”
- Thursday: “For our future”
