Most of the mainstream messages we hear around Labor Day might lead us to believe this long weekend is all about buying more stuff. Over the past few weeks, I’m sure you were hit with all kinds of messages about sales and in-store events celebrating the unofficial end of summer by email, text, TV, social media and more. As union members, we know better. Labor Day is a celebration of you, the hardworking people who go out and get it done every day in the heat, in the snow, despite tough customers and stingy employers.
The fact is, the 8-hour workday, weekends, safer working conditions and more were born out of struggle, solidarity, and the demand for dignity at work. Labor Day was the result of some of the darkest days for workers. When we forget that, we risk taking for granted — and even losing — the gains that have been made for us.
The first Labor Day march was in New York City on September 5, 1882. Other events including the Haymarket Riot of 1886 and the Pullman Strike in May 1894 are also tied to the history of Labor Day. These stories and the lead-up to these events deserve to be told again and again because they’re reminders of why we must keep fighting.
The fights that led to the first Labor Day are a stark reminder that nothing we’ve won has been given to us out of the goodness of our employers’ hearts. Generations of union members who have come before us have fought for these gains. Many have even been injured or died in pursuit of basic protections.
I urge you to share these stories — whether you’re familiar with them or have other first-hand experiences about the struggles you and your brothers and sisters have faced. This context helps us understand and appreciate the current benefits and protections we enjoy.
In celebration of everything you do for your communities in your roles, UWUA has included a set of stickers in this edition of the magazine to help you show your union pride. These high-quality stickers are weather-proof and are made to attach to a truck, helmet, water bottle, cooler or anything else.
In addition to this small gift to recognize your achievements, we celebrated this Labor Day with a call for action. We were proud to participate in the AFL-CIO’s “It’s Better in a Union: Fighting for Freedom, Fairness and Security” bus tour to amplify our members’ perspectives and the voices of working people across America. Two buses crisscrossed the country for two months to highlight workers’ fights to organize, win fair contracts and counteract the impact that reckless policies are having on our lives.
The bus tour ended on a high note with The Workers Deserve Labor Day week of action — a week to protest political attacks against unions, call out the un-American union-busting tactics of CEOs and demand an end to the Trump administration’s devastating cuts that are crippling communities, all while sharing our positive vision for a country that respects and celebrates all working people and our families.
I was glad to be able to participate in a few different bus stops along with some of our locals. Our members brought the energy, and it was inspiring to participate in these events along with so many others across our movement.
We came, we celebrated and now we are gearing up for the fights ahead. We’re staring down more attacks on collective bargaining, including from the highest levels of government, and facing growing income inequality.
As we stand together in solidarity to face these attacks, we must encourage younger workers within our locals to learn their rights and the power of organizing. Being a union member is an important tool to empower ourselves and seek justice.
Don’t give in to the urge to make Labor Day about anything other than a celebration of you. Your fights, your struggles, your pursuit of better, safer working conditions for you and your families is what it’s all about.