Bernie Sanders Joins Verizon Picket Line in Brooklyn: Video

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, NY — Midway through his two-week drive to pull ahead of Hillary Clinton in New York's Democratic presidential primaries, Vermont Senator and working man's advocate Bernie Sanders found himself in his element Wednesday as massive picket lines popped up at Verizon locations across the East Coast, including in New York City.

Around 2,700 of the 39,000 Verizon workers striking this week are from Brooklyn, a union spokesman told Patch.

And at least a few hundred of those were picketing Wednesday morning outside Verizon's Downtown Brooklyn location on the Flatbush Avenue Extension when, to their (sort of) surprise, Sanders wormed his way through the crowd and up onto the soapbox.

Below, Sanders' speech in full, as transcribed by Salon.

"Brothers and sisters. Thank you for your courage and standing up for justice against corporate greed.

Verizon is one of the largest, most profitable corporations in this country, but they refuse to sit down and negotiate a fair contract.

They want to take away the health benefits that you have earned.

They want to outsource decent-paying jobs.

They want to give their CEO $20 million a year.

They want to avoid paying federal income taxes.

In other words, this is just another major American corporation trying to destroy the lives of working Americans.

Today, you are standing up not just for justice for Verizon workers; you’re standing up for millions of Americans who don’t have a union.

And you’re telling corporate America they cannot have it all. You’re telling corporate America that workers in this country are not going to be continued to push down and down and down.

The working class of this country deserves to earn decent wages, decent benefits, and not see their jobs go to low-wage countries.

I’m here today not just to support the CWA [Communication Workers of America union]. I know how hard it is, what a difficult decision it is to go out on strike. And I know you thought a whole lot about it, and I know your families are going to pay a price to go out on strike.

But you have chosen to stand up for dignity, for justice, and to take on an enormously powerful special interest.

So on behalf of every worker in America, those facing the same kind of pressure, thank you for what you are doing. We’re gonna win this thing!”

Earlier in the day, as news of the historic strike tore across America, Hillary Clinton, too, released a lengthy statement supporting the workers. Still, as might be expected, Sanders' reaction easily put him ahead as the more confrontational of the two.

Clinton's statement:

"I am disappointed to learn that negotiations have broken down between Verizon and their workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Verizon should come back to the bargaining table with a fair offer for their workers. To preserve and grow America's middle class, we need to protect good wages and benefits, including retirement security. And we should be doing all we can to keep good-paying jobs with real job security in New York.

Instead, Verizon wants to outsource more and more jobs. That would mean walking away from workers who have been part of their family and our communities for years — the workers who install and repair our phone and cable service, and who respond to customer needs day and night. We rely on these men and women as part of the communications infrastructure that keeps businesses and our economy moving. Verizon should do the right thing and return to negotiations.

I believe in the power of collective bargaining. If elected President, I will do everything in my power to protect workers, protect unions, and give businesses the incentives and support to keep jobs here. I will also fight for an America where workers do not have to go on strike to have health care, secure jobs and pensions."

Salon also points out that New York's influential transit workers union, representing around 42,000 men and women, came out with a big Bernie endorsement Wednesday.