Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stepped into Donald Trump’s territory in Las Vegas Monday evening to encourage hotel workers at Trump’s hotel to organize a union.
The protest erupted outside of Trump International hotel in Las Vegas, which is non-union and was the backdrop to the Culinary Workers Union local 226 protest.
“I think you have a right to organize, you have a right to safe working conditions and you have the right to a living wage,” Clinton told the protesters. “That means saying no to Donald Trump.”
“I’m here in support of local 226 and all of the hardworking people… I think you have a right to organize, you have a right to safe working conditions, you have a right to a living wage,” Clinton told protesters.
“And you have to say ‘yes’ to all of that, you have to say no to efforts to prevent you from organizing, to prevent you from having the kind of working conditions you deserve, the kind of wages that are going to give you a living wage. And that means saying ‘no’ to Donald Trump.”
Clinton went on saying, “You know, some people think Mr. Trump is entertaining. But I don’t think it’s entertaining when somebody insults immigrants, insults women. That is just unacceptable behavior. And so we’re here together in solidarity to organize. We also want to send a message to Mr Trump that if you are going to run for president, then you should represent all the people of the United States…and you should not stand in the way of the right to organize, because that’s what built the middle class.”
She concluded, “So I wanted to come by to lend my voice to all of yours, to wish you well in this effort to organize, to continue to fight for your rights and continue to stand up for a better future for you and your families. God bless you.”
The group composed of around 500 workers — including cooks, kitchen workers and bartenders — has been looking to organize for almost a year.
“If he has that much money he can afford to treat us fairly, like we should be,” Michael Campus, a cook at the hotel, told reporters. “His mantra is “make America great again.’ We want him to start here, at his hotel.”
