All right, let me close by saying this.  A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit -- not a few weeks ago, just a few days ago -- I had the opportunity to visit a Chrysler plant in Detroit.  This is a place obviously that’s been harder hit than just about anywhere, not just during this financial crisis but for a couple of decades now.  The auto¹ industry alone lost hundreds of thousands of jobs in the year before I took office.  So we had to make a very difficult decision when I became President about whether to walk away from American automakers or help them get back on their feet.

And I decided² we couldn’t walk away from what could be a million middle-class jobs.  So we told the automakers that we would give them temporary assistance if they restructured to make themselves competitive for the 21st century.  And most of the “Just Say No” crowd in Washington didn’t agree with this decision.  And let’s face it, it was not popular in the polls.  A lot of people weren’t happy with that decision.  But today, all three U.S. automakers are operating at a profit for the first time in more than five years.  They’ve had the strongest job growth in more than 10 years -- 55,000 workers have been hired.  Instead of a planned shutdown, the plant that I was at is staying open this summer just to meet increased demand.  They’ve even added another shift.

Now, just a few weeks before I visited that auto plant, 14 of its employees won the lottery³（彩票） .  This is a true story.  Now you’d think they would have decided to retire, cash out, walk away.  But most of them didn’t.  They’re staying on their jobs.  And the guy who bought the ticket -- was a guy named William Shanteau -- took the money and he bought his wife one of the Jeep Cherokees that they make at the plant.  (Applause.)  And then he bought a bunch of American flags for his hometown, because he loves his country, just like he loves the company that he works for and the workers that he works with and the union that represents him.

And he’s going to keep on showing up every day because he loves that plant, he loves his coworkers, and he loves the idea of making something right here in the United States that’s worth something.  He loves the idea of being productive and creating something of value for people.

That’s the true character of our people.  That’s been the essence of the AFL-CIO.  That’s why even in these difficult times, I remain confident about our future, because of people like that, because of the workers that I meet all across this country, members of your unions who get up every morning and put in a hard day’s work to build a company, build a future, support their families.

As Americans, they don’t give up.  They don’t quit.  I don’t give up.  I don’t quit.  The AFL-CIO does not give up.  It does not quit.  If we stand together, then I am absolutely confident that we are going to rebuild America, not just to where it was before this financial crisis, but stronger than it has ever been.  That is a commitment that I am making to you.  Thank you for the commitment that you’ve made to me.  God bless you.  Thank you guys.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

MR. TRUMKA:  Mr. President, on behalf of our full Executive Council, first of all, let me thank you for sharing your special day with us, and let us wish you again a happy birthday.

Two, let us thank you for all that you’ve done for every working American out there.  I know you’re pressed for time.

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t a cake, though.  (Laughter.)  I’m going to have to talk to Secret Service.

MR. TRUMKA:  You got to talk to those guys, because they nixed（禁止，拒绝） the cake.

THE PRESIDENT:  They’re probably eating it right now.  (Laughter.)

MR. TRUMKA:  They are.  They got it all over them.

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s some good cake.

MR. TRUMKA:  He has a little bit on him --

THE PRESIDENT:  Had some frosting on his -- I noticed that, all right.  (Laughter.)

MR. TRUMKA:  We know you only have time for one question.  Mr. President, when I was working coalminer, I understood from personal experience how my parents and my grandparents formed a union and changed coalmining from a life-threatening journey through poverty into reasonably safe and well-paid jobs.  Now, so many Americans now work in bad jobs -- jobs with no benefits, jobs with -- that don’t pay a living wage, jobs that aren’t safe, jobs where they have no voice.

Now, we’re going into a congressional election three months from today, and I think it’s fair to say that workers’ hopes for congressional action to protect workers’ rights and to create jobs have been frustrated⁴ by a Republican minority that has filibustered⁵（掠夺，阻挠） every matter in front of them, every single thing that’s been good for us.

I just want to ask you, what advice do you have for workers as the election approaches, particularly for workers who are trying to organize to have a voice on the job?