September 8, 2015
By LIUNA President Terry O’Sullivan
“Labor Day is about recognizing the dignity of hard work and those who do it.”
Washington, DC – Today the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) honors all those who worked, fought, struggled, sacrificed, and even laid down their lives for justice in the work place. We also call upon all Americans and Canadians to think about, honor, and thank the blue-collar men and women who keep both of our countries running. Labor Day is about recognizing the dignity of hard work and those who do it.
LIUNA is proud to represent half a million construction workers, healthcare workers, public and federal employees, mail handlers, and other hard working men and women. We are proud that among our members are military veterans who have traded their helmets for hard hats, and now are building strong, middle-class lives for themselves and their families. Our members are not only the greatest asset of our union; they, and all workers, are the lifeblood of our two nations.
Labor Day is a time to recognize those who are frequently overlooked: the working class heroes who labor, day in and day out, at jobs that are essential to our lives, our economy, and our world. Increasingly, these workers and their families are losing economic ground and political power, while being dismissed and disparaged by many policy-making elites. Too often, we look right through the people whose hard work, dedication, and back-breaking labor have built our two great countries.
This Labor Day, let’s resolve to start turning things around. Let’s begin working together to close the growing gap between haves and have-nots. Let’s push our elected officials to stop playing political games and start passing legislation to move our nations forward, create jobs, and solve problems. And let’s truly honor working men and women by respecting them, thanking them, and strengthening their rights to band together and bargain for better pay, benefits, and working conditions.
