Friends, workers and their families are the backbone of the can-do American identity, and today we recognize and celebrate the achievements of the labor movement.

One of my earliest memories is of my father taking me and my sister Kim to work with him on his delivery route for the Washington Post. We would wake up early in the morning and ride with him on his truck as he delivered the paper. He would tell us, “I jump up and down on this dirty truck so you never have to.”

He taught us that a job is much more than a paycheck, and that there is dignity in all work.

His story is what drives me to fight for working people all across our state.

Labor Day serves as a testament to what workers and unions have accomplished to improve working conditions, collectively bargain, and strive for higher wages and workplace safety.

It’s also an acknowledgement that we’ve still got a long way to go to ensure workers can provide for their families and retire when they’re ready. In the Senate, I will be a strong supporter of passing the PRO Act to ensure that we can strengthen workers’ rights through collective bargaining.

All work has dignity, and it’s important that we empower workers to join and form unions and that we have strong laws that protect those basic fundamental rights.

Thank you to all the laborers who have fought on the picket lines and in the workplace, in courtrooms and in the streets, pushing our country forward.

Thank you,

Angela Alsobrooks