Transcript - Remarks: Joe Biden Attends a Union Workforce Training Presentation - November 2, 2022 | Factba.se

Joe Biden

00:00:00 - 00:00:00 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:00:00 - 00:00:02 ()

Hi, President Biden.

Joe Biden

00:00:02 - 00:00:04 ()

How are you? Nice seeing you, man.

Tony DiPerna

00:00:04 - 00:00:06 ()

Nice seeing you. Tony DiPerna, national training director for the bricklayers.

Liliana Calderon

00:00:06 - 00:00:07 ()

Hi. Lily Calderon.

Joe Biden

00:00:07 - 00:00:08 ()

Hi, Lily. How are you?

Liliana Calderon

00:00:08 - 00:00:09 ()

Manager for health and safety.

Joe Biden

00:00:09 - 00:00:10 ()

Good to see you.

Liliana Calderon

00:00:10 - 00:00:10 ()

Joe Biden

00:00:10 - 00:00:11 ()

Liliana Calderon

00:00:11 - 00:00:13 ()

It's our apprentice.

Joe Biden

00:00:13 - 00:00:14 ()

How are you, man?

Jamaar Evans

00:00:14 - 00:00:15 ()

My name is Jamaar. How are you?

Joe Biden

00:00:15 - 00:00:15 ()

Jamaar Evans

00:00:15 - 00:00:15 ()

Joe Biden

00:00:15 - 00:00:21 ()

Tell you what, man, it's cool. Why don't you tell me what we're doing here?

Jamaar Evans

00:00:21 - 00:00:22 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:00:22 - 00:00:22 ()

Jamaar Evans

00:00:22 - 00:00:24 ()

You can explain.

Tony DiPerna

00:00:24 - 00:00:29 ()

So -- so, we're going to -- we're going to teach you how to lay brick today.

Joe Biden

00:00:29 - 00:00:29 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:00:29 - 00:00:48 ()

So, these are middle-class jobs like my father came over in '56 and joined the bricklayers and brought a family up. Jamaar's joined our family. He's from Job Corps. He's 20 years old. He's earning while he's learning. He goes to school every other Saturday. And he's collecting paychecks every week at Bowie State, working for one of our contractors, and he's on his way to a great career, and a middle class.

Joe Biden

00:00:48 - 00:01:06 ()

You know, people don't understand. When he's finished the Spanish program, he will have spent as much time as most people do going to college. They think -- and the reason I keep pushing unions with the best-trained people in the world, for real, for real.

Tony DiPerna

00:01:06 - 00:01:07 ()

Yeah. And it's going to cost him zero.

Joe Biden

00:01:07 - 00:01:09 ()

Yeah, that's what I'm saying, he gets paid for what he's doing.

Tony DiPerna

00:01:09 - 00:01:10 ()

Liliana Calderon

00:01:10 - 00:01:10 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:01:10 - 00:01:11 ()

Joe Biden

00:01:11 - 00:01:20 ()

Now, you're not getting paid a million bucks while you're doing it, but you're getting paid, I mean. All right. I didn't get paid when I was in school. Anyway, so, go ahead.

Jamaar Evans

00:01:20 - 00:01:22 ()

Liliana Calderon

00:01:22 - 00:01:24 ()

He's going to demonstrate laying some brick.

Tony DiPerna

00:01:24 - 00:01:43 ()

And now, mind you, he's a first-year apprentice, and he lays brick at a journeyman skill. He came in from Job Corps. So, he got training at Job Corps for -- for six months. He direct entry into the trades, and he joined our Baltimore Local 1. And he's laying bricks right now at Bowie State.

Jamaar Evans

00:01:43 - 00:01:46 ()

You want me to explain how -- how this whole thing works?

Joe Biden

00:01:46 - 00:01:46 ()

Jamaar Evans

00:01:46 - 00:02:10 ()

Basically, you would just, like, grab some mortar a minute ago. We want to spread it out, get it to spaces that you don't have mortar. This is part -- this part is quite thorough. And so, you want to throw out the mortar, make sure it's close to the front, and you want to cut it out at an angle. And once you cut it out at an angle, you're ready to lay some brick.

Joe Biden

00:02:10 - 00:02:13 ()

[Inaudible] man. What are you doing this weekend?

Jamaar Evans

00:02:13 - 00:02:30 ()

It's kind of a thing. All right. So, better line up your brick now. This is a process that you have to do in order to lay. So, shake it a little bit. Once it's in, you're good.

Tony DiPerna

00:02:30 - 00:02:33 ()

And he uses that technique because you need a full head joint.

Jamaar Evans

00:02:33 - 00:02:55 ()

Yeah, you have to have a full head joint. If you don't have a full head joint, water can get behind a brick and create water damage outside the building. So, now, when it's time to lay, we have this line here to guide us, to keep it level. You want to make sure your brick is lined up with the bottom of this brick, and you just go down with your hands.

Jamaar Evans

00:02:55 - 00:02:57 ()

That's how you lay a brick.

Joe Biden

00:02:57 - 00:03:03 ()

All right, now, I'm going to ask a question. How do you cut this?

Jamaar Evans

00:03:03 - 00:03:06 ()

How do you cut it?

Joe Biden

00:03:06 - 00:03:08 ()

How do you cut it? In other words, you have half a brick.

Jamaar Evans

00:03:08 - 00:03:10 ()

You're going to half a brick.

Joe Biden

00:03:10 - 00:03:14 ()

No, no, I want you to do it, half a brick.

Jamaar Evans

00:03:14 - 00:03:21 ()

Oh, how you'd do it, you can use mint, you can use your hammer. Cut it right here. Just hit it two times and it'll crack in half.

Joe Biden

00:03:21 - 00:03:22 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:03:22 - 00:03:28 ()

So, you can use a saw if you need a factory edge. But if you don't, you can just use your hammer. Some people even use their trowel -- the trowel and snap it.

Joe Biden

00:03:28 - 00:03:29 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:03:29 - 00:03:33 ()

We're not going to do it here because it makes a little bit of a mess, and we don't want to do that here.

Joe Biden

00:03:33 - 00:03:34 ()

Liliana Calderon

00:03:34 - 00:03:36 ()

And you may have some chips, and -- and you don't want to hurt your eyes.

Joe Biden

00:03:36 - 00:03:37 ()

No, we don't want that ourselves.

Liliana Calderon

00:03:37 - 00:03:39 ()

No, no, you don't want that.

Joe Biden

00:03:39 - 00:03:41 ()

Well, thank you, man. I appreciate it. Best of luck.

Jamaar Evans

00:03:41 - 00:03:42 ()

Joe Biden

00:03:42 - 00:03:48 ()

You know, the three bills we're talking about here, we created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.

Tony DiPerna

00:03:48 - 00:03:49 ()

Joe Biden

00:03:49 - 00:04:09 ()

I mean, for real. It really is. I'm excited about it. You've got the infrastructure bill building highways -- everything from highways to internet capability. Then we got the bill where we -- where we have the CHIPS and Science Act with an investment, literally, $700 billion in building new facilities.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:09 - 00:04:09 ()

Joe Biden

00:04:09 - 00:04:20 ()

Every single thing you're going to need by the time you're older requires a computer chip. There's like 200 of them on automobile. I mean, that's -- and everything -- watch refrigerator, everything.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:20 - 00:04:23 ()

And one thing that trades are doing is reaching the underserved communities.

Joe Biden

00:04:23 - 00:04:24 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:04:24 - 00:04:27 ()

And we're really bringing in a diverse group of young people into the trade. So, that's [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:04:27 - 00:04:29 ()

Because otherwise, I wouldn't make it all union.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:29 - 00:04:30 ()

Liliana Calderon

00:04:30 - 00:04:30 ()

Tony DiPerna

00:04:30 - 00:04:31 ()

Joe Biden

00:04:31 - 00:04:32 ()

Simple proposition.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:32 - 00:04:33 ()

Yeah. Thank you very much for doing that.

Joe Biden

00:04:33 - 00:04:35 ()

That's -- that's the deal. That's the deal.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:35 - 00:04:39 ()

This is the best union president we've ever had right here, President Biden.

Joe Biden

00:04:39 - 00:04:46 ()

[Inaudible] But I mean, you guys are doing -- you're reaching out to women and minorities across the board.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:46 - 00:04:47 ()

Yes. Absolutely.

Joe Biden

00:04:47 - 00:04:48 ()

Well, thank you.

Tony DiPerna

00:04:48 - 00:04:49 ()

Yeah, thank you. Thank you.

Liliana Calderon

00:04:49 - 00:04:51 ()

Thank you, Mr. President.

Joe Biden

00:04:51 - 00:04:53 ()

I like your hat. I've got to [Inaudible] All right.

Mitch Landrieu

00:04:53 - 00:04:54 ()

Mr. President, the welding.

Joe Biden

00:04:54 - 00:04:59 ()

How are you doing, man?

Brian Stabeno

00:04:59 - 00:05:03 ()

Good evening, Mr. President. It's nice to meet you. Brian Stabeno [Inaudible] in Philadelphia.

Joe Biden

00:05:03 - 00:05:05 ()

Oh, yeah, right?

Brian Stabeno

00:05:05 - 00:05:05 ()

Joe Biden

00:05:05 - 00:05:07 ()

Where -- where -- do you live in Philly?

Brian Stabeno

00:05:07 - 00:05:09 ()

I live right outside in South Jersey [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:05:09 - 00:05:10 ()

Morgan Dryden

00:05:10 - 00:05:13 ()

I'm Morgan Dryden, and I'm a millwright apprentice out of Philadelphia also.

Joe Biden

00:05:13 - 00:05:15 ()

Oh, hi, Morgan. How are you? Good to see you.

Morgan Dryden

00:05:15 - 00:05:15 ()

Pleased to meet you.

Robert Smith

00:05:15 - 00:05:19 ()

Mr. President, very nice to meet you. Rob Smith, former Newcastle carpenter instructor.

Joe Biden

00:05:19 - 00:05:20 ()

Robert Smith

00:05:20 - 00:05:23 ()

And now I'm overseeing the -- the [Inaudible] council, [Inaudible] council.

Joe Biden

00:05:23 - 00:05:24 ()

All right, man.

Robert Smith

00:05:24 - 00:05:25 ()

Nice to meet you.

Joe Biden

00:05:25 - 00:05:28 ()

Let me get over here, get out of the way [Inaudible]

Brian Stabeno

00:05:28 - 00:05:46 ()

So, right here, Mr. President, Morgan is a fourth-year millwright apprentice. She's a top in her class. She's the best millwright apprentice we have at the school right now. And she's going to demonstrate to you a virtual welding. So, instead of bringing a kid into -- that has never welded before, what we're going to do is do it virtual, because when you go into a welding booth, it's very scary, it's intimidating.

Brian Stabeno

00:05:46 - 00:06:05 ()

And then [Inaudible] called [Inaudible] there's going to be sparks, smokes, all kinds of stuff. So, what we'll do is we'll bring them into the class, set up the prop, and then we let them weld. So, Morgan is going to demonstrate on how to weld, do the virtual. So, right now, she sees everything the way -- right through her VR glasses.

Brian Stabeno

00:06:05 - 00:06:10 ()

And this represents the welding rod. So, this will represent her stinger.

Morgan Dryden

00:06:10 - 00:06:11 ()

Brian Stabeno

00:06:11 - 00:06:13 ()

Got it, Morgan?

Morgan Dryden

00:06:13 - 00:06:14 ()

Yes. Thank you.

Brian Stabeno

00:06:14 - 00:06:34 ()

You're welcome. Good work. There you go. Look down a little more. There you go. Perfect. So, right now, Mr. President, we have this thing set up. So, as a trainer, I can go into this feature right here, and I go watch her weld. And I can tell her to go down a little bit more. You see how you have the green lights?

Joe Biden

00:06:34 - 00:06:35 ()

Brian Stabeno

00:06:35 - 00:06:49 ()

So, this is telling her what her position is or travel speed or angles. So, right now, her depth is right, her work angle is good from the right down up here, her travel speed is great. So, that now she's depositing, not only at a 45-degree angle --

Joe Biden

00:06:49 - 00:06:49 ()

Brian Stabeno

00:06:49 - 00:07:03 ()

You catch on both ends of the steel, welding it together. Like I said, this is a good training for someone who's never weld before. It's like real time. She actually feels it inside. If you notice this, you see that rod starting to disappear?

Joe Biden

00:07:03 - 00:07:04 ()

Brian Stabeno

00:07:04 - 00:07:08 ()

Because when you weld -- just when you weld, now the metal is getting penetrated into the steel.

Joe Biden

00:07:08 - 00:07:08 ()

Brian Stabeno

00:07:08 - 00:07:11 ()

And so, now you're losing the rod. So, she's stitching it with -- learning to do it with her arm.

Joe Biden

00:07:11 - 00:07:12 ()

Yeah, that's what she's doing.

Brian Stabeno

00:07:12 - 00:07:33 ()

Then after that, it's all done, you can hit and pass -- the previous, sorry -- and pass and it gives a grade -- ah, I messed up, sorry. Of course, it didn't come back, right? Sorry. But in the real world, it'll give me a grade of what she did or showed me how she welded, and that will give her a grade [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:07:33 - 00:07:34 ()

Now -- now what made you decide to be a welder?

Morgan Dryden

00:07:34 - 00:07:39 ()

I'm actually a millwright, and this is a small part of our trade. I --

Joe Biden

00:07:39 - 00:07:41 ()

What made you decide to be a millwright?

Morgan Dryden

00:07:41 - 00:08:02 ()

I'm really interested in the precision work and having a variety of different things I can do. I get to learn new things every day. And really, there's -- you never stop learning in our trade. So, that's very exciting for me. I'm fourth-generation union and -- yes, so my family was all under the carpenter's umbrella in Philadelphia.

Morgan Dryden

00:08:02 - 00:08:07 ()

So, that opportunity, it was -- I just have to take it.

Joe Biden

00:08:07 - 00:08:10 ()

A good-paying job. You can live a middle-class life.

Morgan Dryden

00:08:10 - 00:08:11 ()

Joe Biden

00:08:11 - 00:08:25 ()

Yeah. Well, that's great. That's great. This -- this is -- you know, I've -- I've gone to the training centers where you're actually doing welding. They put glasses on me, but I've never seen this. This has been cool.

Brian Stabeno

00:08:25 - 00:08:29 ()

Yes. It's been around for a while. It's about 10 years old. It's not like really new.

Joe Biden

00:08:29 - 00:08:29 ()

Brian Stabeno

00:08:29 - 00:08:43 ()

But it's been around for a little bit. They've gotten better with the machines that they have out now. But besides just regular stick loading, you get to do MIG welding, TIG welding, and torch cutting. So, you teach a kid everything before he actually goes out into the world shop where it's -- it's dangerous, so.

Robert Smith

00:08:43 - 00:08:49 ()

It allows -- it allows the kids from this demographic, kids coming up throughout a high school to really connect with the trades learning.

Joe Biden

00:08:49 - 00:08:50 ()

Robert Smith

00:08:50 - 00:09:00 ()

So, we have it in our OSHA'S safety training. We have it in our scaffold training for the carpenters union. We fully integrate virtual reality technology into our apprenticeship programs.

Joe Biden

00:09:00 - 00:09:13 ()

You know, one of the things that dropped off a lot over the last 20 years, and that is trades in schools being talked about. Kids don't even know they want to work with their hands. They don't even until they have an opportunity to do it.

Robert Smith

00:09:13 - 00:09:30 ()

So, we've reached out to the high schools, President Biden, with the UBC, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. They have a curriculum called Career Connections, and that gets involved into, you know, getting some of those high school skills into the -- from the carpenters industry into the high school, into shops.

Robert Smith

00:09:30 - 00:09:37 ()

And they have their own curriculum that helps with that to help guide from a sophomore to a junior level, you know, until they graduate into the trades.

Joe Biden

00:09:37 - 00:10:04 ()

Well, it's good stuff. And by the way, we need it badly. We need it badly because, you know, we're talking about creating -- literally, we've already created 700,000 manufacturing jobs in America now. And the jobs that are going to come from what we're doing now, from the infrastructure law, to the law relating to CHIPS and Science Act, which is they're investing hundreds of billions of dollars literally, creating -- and these are good-paying jobs.

Joe Biden

00:10:04 - 00:10:11 ()

For example, in that area, they're going to be paying people 120 grand for high school education if they have -- if they have a real trade.

Robert Smith

00:10:11 - 00:10:20 ()

Our first-year apprentices come in making around $60,000 in the Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey region in that portion of our council.

Joe Biden

00:10:20 - 00:10:21 ()

[Inaudible] in Delaware now.

Robert Smith

00:10:21 - 00:10:44 ()

Had to get it in there [Inaudible] So -- so, we have 60,000. They come in making an entry-level position, and we're working on getting a two-year college degree. We recently rebranded the Philadelphia Training Center to Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical College so they'll come out with a two-year degree as well, which helps decrease the college debt issue for students coming out of college as well.

Joe Biden

00:10:44 - 00:10:52 ()

So, that's great. I tell you, there's reason to be optimistic. I mean, it really is. There's real reason to be [Audio Gap] in your generation [Inaudible] you own it.

Morgan Dryden

00:10:52 - 00:10:55 ()

Wonderful meeting you. Thank you for your time.

Joe Biden

00:10:55 - 00:11:09 ()

Four generations with union, huh? I don't know [Inaudible] Joey, you’re union from belt buckle to shoe sole. God love you. Those four generations built the middle class. Third generation as well.

Robert Smith

00:11:09 - 00:11:09 ()

Joe Biden

00:11:09 - 00:11:10 ()

Thank you, man.

Robert Smith

00:11:10 - 00:11:11 ()

Thank you. My two boys are [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:11:11 - 00:11:13 ()

Oh, is that right?

Robert Smith

00:11:13 - 00:11:15 ()

Yeah [Inaudible] Secret Service [Inaudible] nice to meet you.

Joe Biden

00:11:15 - 00:11:16 ()

OK. All right, man.

Robert Smith

00:11:16 - 00:11:17 ()

Yeah, pleasure.

Joe Biden

00:11:17 - 00:11:18 ()

What year [Inaudible]

Unidenrtified

00:11:18 - 00:11:23 ()

Twenty-one. Robert just graduated, 22, and Ryan is 24, so nice to see you.

Joe Biden

00:11:23 - 00:11:24 ()

Good to see you.

Mitch Landrieu

00:11:24 - 00:11:27 ()

Mr. President, electrical vehicle charging stations.

Joe Biden

00:11:27 - 00:11:28 ()

Francisco Morales

00:11:28 - 00:11:29 ()

Mr. President, nice to meet you.

Joe Biden

00:11:29 - 00:11:33 ()

All right [Inaudible] with thousands of these things, but -- how you doing?

Francisco Morales

00:11:33 - 00:11:34 ()

[Inaudible] fantastic, sir.

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:11:34 - 00:11:34 ()

Joe Biden

00:11:34 - 00:11:36 ()

Hi. What's your name?

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:11:36 - 00:11:36 ()

Joe Biden

00:11:36 - 00:11:38 ()

Hi, Abigail. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:11:38 - 00:11:39 ()

Pleasure to meet you too.

Joe Biden

00:11:39 - 00:11:39 ()

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:11:39 - 00:11:40 ()

Francisco Morales

00:11:40 - 00:11:41 ()

Sir, local 103.

Joe Biden

00:11:41 - 00:11:45 ()

Local 103. All right, what you got?

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:11:45 - 00:11:53 ()

Well, thank you for joining us, President Biden. We here are showing off the EV charger. Frank?

Francisco Morales

00:11:53 - 00:12:19 ()

So, right here, this is the standard residential unit that our local is training at us on. And we are getting trained on commercial installations as well. So, right here we have your connector that you plug in your car. This is the actual unit itself. And then this is the part that we focus on mostly is the disconnect that's mounted on the outside of a house for safety purposes.

Francisco Morales

00:12:19 - 00:12:45 ()

So, you see here as we have the feed coming in from the house that mounts on the top and disconnect, and then we have fuses as protection. And then, we have the wire going into the unit itself. This whole unit is meant for safety. A big part of our training with the EVITP certificate is safety because, as you can see, there aren't many wires involved with the process.

Joe Biden

00:12:45 - 00:12:47 ()

Now, this is at home.

Francisco Morales

00:12:47 - 00:12:48 ()

This is residential.

Joe Biden

00:12:48 - 00:12:52 ()

[Inaudible] this vehicle, you have this in your garage or near wherever you decide to do it?

Francisco Morales

00:12:52 - 00:12:53 ()

Joe Biden

00:12:53 - 00:12:59 ()

But what about the power -- the charging stations along highways? We're going to put in 500,000 of those.

Francisco Morales

00:12:59 - 00:13:01 ()

Those are the --

Joe Biden

00:13:01 - 00:13:02 ()

Francisco Morales

00:13:02 - 00:13:26 ()

Absolutely. This is a Level 2. Those are Level 3 and 4 commercial chargers. There's definitely an infrastructure requirement. But -- and obviously, we're looking at, with current electrical prices, about $9 for 200 miles of a charge. So, it seems like a big difference from $5 for a tank of gas -- or $5 for a gallon of gas.

Joe Biden

00:13:26 - 00:13:28 ()

I got that down for you.

Francisco Morales

00:13:28 - 00:13:29 ()

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:13:29 - 00:13:38 ()

And the great thing about this charger is that it is American made. It's made in America, and so is this Eaton disconnect, made in the USA. So, we're very proud about that.

Joe Biden

00:13:38 - 00:13:47 ()

All right. So -- and by the way, you can -- when the power goes out in your neighborhood, you can light up your house from your car.

Mitch Landrieu

00:13:47 - 00:13:48 ()

That's great [Inaudible]

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:13:48 - 00:14:20 ()

And I like to add on that the EVITP program allows a lot of apprentices, as well as licensed electricians, to be trained to install these into our homes. And what's very interesting as well is that the infrastructure bill calls for 500,000 vehicles to be made by 2025. And right now, we have 13,050 licensed-certified electricians around nationwide ready to install these into our homes.

Joe Biden

00:14:20 - 00:14:39 ()

All right. Well, it is good deal. I mean, the reason why we got this passed and we got the infrastructure bill passed as well, along with other law, is because the unions stepped up. Everybody said they wouldn't move to the modern technologies because they're worried about losing their -- we're creating more jobs.

Mitch Landrieu

00:14:39 - 00:14:39 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:39 - 00:14:41 ()

Create more jobs than ever did.

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:14:41 - 00:14:42 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:42 - 00:14:43 ()

Keep training them.

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:14:43 - 00:14:44 ()

Mmm hmm. Thank you.

Joe Biden

00:14:44 - 00:14:45 ()

All right. Thank you, guys.

Francisco Morales

00:14:45 - 00:14:46 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:46 - 00:14:47 ()

Appreciate it very much.

Francisco Morales

00:14:47 - 00:14:48 ()

Thank you so much, sir.

Joe Biden

00:14:48 - 00:14:49 ()

Thank you. Thank you.

Abigail Jean-Baptiste

00:14:49 - 00:14:50 ()

Unidentified

00:14:50 - 00:14:53 ()

Mr. President, ahead of your remarks tonight, after the midterm --

Joe Biden

00:14:53 - 00:14:56 ()

Well, listen to the man and you all -- you'll be impressed.

Unidentified

00:14:56 - 00:15:00 ()

Please just help us understand. Is a Republican-controlled Congress a threat to democracy?