And I know of your work. For many years, I have had the honor to work closely with the leaders of this union. When I was Attorney General of California, I worked with j- — with you, with many of the leaders here to crack down on wage theft. As a United States senator, we fought together for paid family leave and medical leave for more workers. (Applause.)

And as Elena mentioned, this past October, with pride, I stood in Las Vegas with the workers of Culinary 226 for your Day of Action — (applause) — (laughs) — ohh — for your Day of Action — (applause) —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: 226!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — and again — 226! — (laughs) —

AUDIENCE: 226! 226! 226!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And again, in Las Vegas, a few months later, it was my honor to join Culinary —

AUDIENCE: 226!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — once again — (laughs) — to celebrate your contract win. And, my goodness, what a historic contract win: your historic pay raise of 32 percent. Extraordinary. Extraordinary. (Applause.)

And, of course, this was a victory for all workers — for all workers — because, as we in this room know, when union wages go up, everyone's wages go up. (Applause.) When union workplaces are more safe, all workplaces are more safe. When unions are strong, America is strong. (Applause.)

And President Joe Biden and I are proud to stand by your side. (Applause.)