Bob Bartels joins us now, business manager and COO of Steam Fitter's Local 638 Union. And sir, it's good to have you on. You guys are Democrats, right? I mean, that's what we've always been told. What's happening here? Good evening, Rob. Yes, I'm actually a lifelong Democrat since I'm 18 years old. And over the last four years, not only me, but my members and many other construction workers are just fed up. We've had enough. When our tax dollars are going to feed and house and clothe and God knows what else the illegal immigrants are getting from our government, and we're not getting it, the price of gas, the price of food, price of electricity, oil, things are just out of hand. It's got to stop. And I, as a union leader, don't consider myself the boss. I work for my members. My members are the boss. And I think every politician, as I said on another channel earlier, they should all remember who they work for. They work for the American citizens. They don't work for the people coming over the border illegally. They don't work for anybody but American citizens. And now in New York, we have a law that illegal immigrants can vote in the local elections. What's going on? You tell me what's going on because I can't figure it out. Replacing you is what's going on. How many people are in your union? How many guys you got? We have 9,000 members. 9,000. And that shift has been-- take me back 20 years ago, this same union, how did they vote? Basically voted-- well, in my union, we've never-- I'm the first one to ever put out a poll to see what the members wanted to do. You never needed to. I guess we didn't, but I think it should have been good because, like I said, we work for the members. They don't work for us. We work for them. So I worked for Donald Trump in 1986 at the Wallman Rink. The ice skating rink. And he treated us great. You're talking about-- say where again? Are you talking about the ice skating rink? What did you say? Yeah. The ice skating rink in 1986. I was a third year apprentice in the steam fitters apprenticeship. We saw Donald Trump walk in one day. We yelled to him, hey, you came to buy us coffee, Donald? And he called me out. He gave me money. He said, and this is the middle of the summer, like a hot August day, too hot for coffee. Go get lunch for the men. And he did it multiple times. He came back and did that for us. You know, it's funny because that doesn't-- We were the guys that got that job done. That doesn't align with all the stories they seem to find where they always vilify him as such a terrible boss and somebody that doesn't pay people. You didn't have that experience, huh? I had a very pleasant experience with him. As a matter of fact, today, I act-- I don't know why I did it. I saved the invitations that he sent us to the opening of the Wallman Rink. He signed them for me today. He actually told me he remembered me from that job. The man's got a great memory, too. That's an amazing story. I love that. Bob Bartels, we appreciate you coming on, sir. Thank you.
Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.
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Video transcript 3:08
Bob Bartels joins us now, business manager and COO of Steam Fitter's Local 638 Union. And sir, it's good to have you on. You guys are Democrats, right? I mean, that's what we've always been told. What's happening here? Good evening, Rob. Yes, I'm actually a lifelong Democrat since I'm 18 years old. And over the last four years, not only me, but my members and many other construction workers are just fed up. We've had enough. When our tax dollars are going to feed and house and clothe and God knows what else the illegal immigrants are getting from our government, and we're not getting it, the price of gas, the price of food, price of electricity, oil, things are just out of hand. It's got to stop. And I, as a union leader, don't consider myself the boss. I work for my members. My members are the boss. And I think every politician, as I said on another channel earlier, they should all remember who they work for. They work for the American citizens. They don't work for the people coming over the border illegally. They don't work for anybody but American citizens. And now in New York, we have a law that illegal immigrants can vote in the local elections. What's going on? You tell me what's going on because I can't figure it out. Replacing you is what's going on. How many people are in your union? How many guys you got? We have 9,000 members. 9,000. And that shift has been-- take me back 20 years ago, this same union, how did they vote? Basically voted-- well, in my union, we've never-- I'm the first one to ever put out a poll to see what the members wanted to do. You never needed to. I guess we didn't, but I think it should have been good because, like I said, we work for the members. They don't work for us. We work for them. So I worked for Donald Trump in 1986 at the Wallman Rink. The ice skating rink. And he treated us great. You're talking about-- say where again? Are you talking about the ice skating rink? What did you say? Yeah. The ice skating rink in 1986. I was a third year apprentice in the steam fitters apprenticeship. We saw Donald Trump walk in one day. We yelled to him, hey, you came to buy us coffee, Donald? And he called me out. He gave me money. He said, and this is the middle of the summer, like a hot August day, too hot for coffee. Go get lunch for the men. And he did it multiple times. He came back and did that for us. You know, it's funny because that doesn't-- We were the guys that got that job done. That doesn't align with all the stories they seem to find where they always vilify him as such a terrible boss and somebody that doesn't pay people. You didn't have that experience, huh? I had a very pleasant experience with him. As a matter of fact, today, I act-- I don't know why I did it. I saved the invitations that he sent us to the opening of the Wallman Rink. He signed them for me today. He actually told me he remembered me from that job. The man's got a great memory, too. That's an amazing story. I love that. Bob Bartels, we appreciate you coming on, sir. Thank you.
Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.