WASHINGTON D.C April 18, 2026 – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) warned Saturday that artificial intelligence and robotics threaten to widen the gap between the wealthy and working families, calling for aggressive new efforts to unionize workers so that technological advances benefit everyone rather than a small group of billionaires.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that included a video clip from a recent event, Sanders wrote:
“The rich are getting richer while working people are struggling to feed their families. AI and robotics will make a bad situation even worse. We need a new boldness in organizing workers. With union solidarity we can have AI benefit all, not just a handful of billionaires.”
The attached video is excerpted from Sanders’ April 12, 2026, speech in New York City at the launch of Union Now, a national campaign aimed at dramatically increasing union membership and organizing power. In the footage, Sanders tells the crowd: “We need a new boldness in our thinking and a new aggressiveness in our actions.”
The event featured New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who highlighted the crisis of income inequality and noted that 70% of workers want a union but only about 10% currently have one. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, also spoke, stressing that unions deliver better wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Audience shots in the video show a packed hall of supporters clapping and holding signs reading “Solidarity Forever” and “Union Now,” underscoring the campaign’s focus on bringing “the politics to the people and get the billionaires out.”
Sanders emphasized during the rally that unions remain more popular than they have been in decades, even amid broader economic uncertainties—including the rapid rise of AI and automation. He argued that organized labor is the most effective tool to ensure working people share in the gains of new technology rather than being displaced by it.
The Union Now initiative positions itself as a coordinated national effort to boost union density through organizing drives and strike support, directly responding to concerns that AI and robotics could eliminate jobs and concentrate wealth further among tech executives and investors.
Sanders’ latest message continues his long-standing advocacy for workers’ rights and economic justice. The senator has repeatedly argued that unchecked corporate power and technological disruption require a stronger labor movement to protect middle-class families.
The full video clip and Sanders’ post have already drawn significant engagement on X, with supporters praising the call for solidarity and critics questioning the feasibility of his proposed solutions.
About The Author
