First lady Jill Biden in Chicago ahead of Labor Day as part of back to school swing through Midwest

CHICAGO (WLS) -- First lady Jill Biden was in Chicago to speak to the Chicago Federation of Laborers ahead of the Labor Day holiday.

Dr. Biden appeared before a friendly crowd on the lakefront balcony at McCormack Place, which included some of Illinois' most deeply progressive Democratic forces.

"On Labor Day, we celebrate our accomplishments," said Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Laborers. "This year we're celebrating the scores of victories we've achieved for working people."

The first lady's presence also serves as a surrogate nod to President Joe Biden's base.

"I am Jill Biden, first lady of the United States, and I am a proud, card-carrying union member!" she declared when she took the mic.

Biden has long favored the support of union workers.

"Joe's father used to say a job is about more than a paycheck, it's about dignity," Dr. Biden said. "President Biden and I understand the middle class because we are from the middle class."

While this was not a campaign stop, the White House is keenly aware that President Biden needs every bit of labor support, and a heavy concentration Midwestern union votes, to win reelection next year.

The Midwestern corridor will be hotly contested ground for both parties in 2024. Dr. Biden's back to school swing from Indianapolis to Madison, Wis., with a quick ground stop in Chicago, is merely a wind up to the Democrats shining a spotlight on our city with next summer's Democratic National Convention.