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It's Labor Day, John, and I hope you're soaking up the last bits of summer while giving thanks to the power of unions. After all, unions are a big part of why we have weekends and paid vacation days in the first place.

I learned from my parents (my mom was a public school guidance counselor and proud union member, my dad began his career as a legal services lawyer who made sure people’s utilities didn’t get cut off) that people have power when we come together to stand up for what’s right.

So all my life, I’ve joined working people fighting not only for better pay and decent working conditions, but for the dignity and respect that every human being deserves.

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In the City Council, I worked hand-in-hand with workers organizing to win groundbreaking new laws. This includes a fair work week (with stable schedules and a pathway to full-time jobs) for fast-food and retail workers, and first-in-the-country minimum pay laws for Uber drivers and deliveristas. Our “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” that protects freelancers from getting stiffed was so successful at the City level, that last week it was extended statewide.

We’ve done the same in the Comptroller’s Office, winning over $8 million for workers who were cheated out of the wages they were owed. We led investors supporting workers at Starbucks and the Venetian Hotel — who signed a contract earlier this month guaranteeing over 4,000 workers good union jobs. And watch out for a big announcement we’re making this week.

At the Democratic National Convention last month, I was thrilled to meet and hear from some of the fiercest fighters for the working class. At the DNC Labor Caucus, I was inspired by New York’s own RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum and UFT President Randi Weingarten.

I loved the floor speech by Appalachian journalist and labor leader John Russell, who urged Democrats to “create a political home for working Americans fighting for control over their government, their workplaces, and their planet.”

And I was honored to meet UAW President Shawn Fain and Region 9A President Brandon Mancilla — whose organizing has inspired the nation, and whose "Trump’s a scab" t-shirt was the hottest swag at the convention.

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Look, John, there’s a lot more to do this Labor Day. Many of the workers who take care of our kids and elders still aren’t paid enough to get by. Construction and other outdoor workers are expected to endure ever hotter summer days with little protection. Too many companies continue to violate their workers' rights with little consequence.

But one thing is for certain: Our voices are more powerful as a collective. Together, we can keep up the fight to win the pay, benefits, and dignity that all workers deserve. So this Labor Day, let’s honor the workers who keep New York city working. And let’s remember everything we can accomplish when we stand up together.

In solidarity,

Brad

P.S. We’ll march with the labor movement down 5th Avenue next Saturday — but today we marched down Eastern Parkway to celebrate Brooklyn’s incredible Caribbean heritage in the West Indian Day Parade. I was honored to join Representative Yvette Clarke, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and hundreds of thousands of other New Yorkers of Caribbean descent.

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And there were lots of extra Jamaican flags this year, as we mobilize to elect Kamala Harris the first U.S. President with Caribbean ancestry! Lots to celebrate this Labor Day — and so much more to fight for.

Brad Lander is running for Mayor of New York City to deliver strong, experienced leadership that makes life better for ALL New Yorkers.
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