As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day on Monday, let us remember why we celebrate: on this day, we honor the contributions of the American labor movement to the social and economic prosperity of our nation. The contributions ALL working women and men have made as the creators and keepers of our nation’s strength, freedom and leadership must not be forgotten or downplayed. The labor movement built the cities and the infrastructure of this country through the collective sweat and effort of individual workers who came together to implement a vision of the future of America.
Every day men and women go to work to do the things that make our country great. Whether they wear a military uniform, suits or dresses, overalls, scrubs or religious garb, they share a common desire to do their part to make our country, and our world, a better place to live. There is dignity in the very act of working and contributing to the common good, no matter what the work entails. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
It is our work that binds us and contributes to defining who we are as individuals and as a society. Despite all of our differences, hard work is the commonality that binds us.
We stand on the shoulders of giants, gazing out across a landscape that has been forever changed by those who came before us. We honor their sacrifices that paved the way for a new generation of working men and women to carry the torch of labor. Thank you for the work that you have done, continue to do, and will do in the future, to carry the labor movement forward. May God bless you and your family.
In Solidarity,
William R. Dougan
NFFE National President