We celebrate the proud history of all workers across the country this Labor Day. No matter what your job is, the collective efforts of us all make this nation strong and safe.
On this day, we acknowledge the contributions of the men and women who came before us; who toiled and sacrificed to build the great nation we have inherited from them. When we survey the legacy given to us, we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Despite our bountiful inheritance, millions of our brothers and sisters remain on the unemployment rolls. They struggle to find the basic dignity and self-worth that comes from being employed and knowing they are contributing to the greater good. Their struggle is our struggle; an injury to one is an injury to all.
The labor movement has always played an important role in protecting the inherent dignity of work and the rights of those who labor. The election this November is a call to action for each of us as members of that movement.
We must work to elect candidates who believe in and support the issues that are important to working men and women: creating and sustaining an economy that provides jobs for all who need work; providing for the ability to earn a living wage and benefits that help protect our family and provide for a retirement when we reach the end of our working career; and the belief that working men and women in this country and around the world are worthy of respect for their accomplishments.
This Labor Day, let us commit to translating our hope for a better, more just nation, into action.
William R. Dougan
National President