WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 – Citing several recent victories, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) thanked striking workers Wednesday for proving the power of protest to make progress under President-elect Donald Trump. 

“Five years ago, if anybody in America said that folks would be talking and cities would be passing a $15 an hour minimum wage, people would have said you’re crazy, it can’t be done,” Sanders said. “But you did it.”

Marches led by workers played a critical role in minimum wage increases in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Washington. Over the past four years, 19 million workers nationwide received a stunning $61.5 billion in pay – 12 times as much as the last time Congress increased the federal minimum wage in 2007.

“Millions of workers have received significant pay increases because of your efforts. Thank you for what you’ve done. Today we tell the United States Congress that we have got to go further. We want every worker in this country to earn at least $15 an hour and have a union.”

Recent direct action also halted construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and protests stopped one of the biggest trade deals in history.

“We’re telling Mr. Trump and anybody else that when millions of us stand together we are going to win. Nobody is going to stop us,” Sanders said.