Dear Constituent, 

As we head into Labor Day weekend – filled with remembrances and family gatherings that punctuate the holiday annually – it is important to reflect on the day's origins in the long struggle of American workers to secure fair wages, safe conditions, and basic dignity. 

The union movement has played an indispensable role in advocating for those improved conditions, and their work remains critical to this day – even as powerful interests, from corporate boardrooms to the Oval Office, continue working to undermine them. 

Rep. Mfume joined International Longshoreman Association (ILA) Local 333 President Scott Cowan and hundreds of Longshoremen and dock workers at the Dundalk Marine Terminal to discuss jobs and relief efforts after the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. 

In 1955, two of America's great labor federations, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, put aside their differences and formed the AFL-CIO, the largest labor organization in the world at the time. Representing more than ten million American workers, the merger symbolized a new era of solidarity in the labor movement. 

[LINK TO VIDEO] Rep. Mfume united with National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) on March 23, 2025, at the Baltimore Main Post Office rally against privatization of the postal service. 

70 years later, the need for organized labor is as great as ever. Since returning to office, President Trump has launched an all-out assault on organized labor, unilaterally terminating collective bargaining agreements and stripping hundreds of thousands of civil servants of their union protections. 

[LINK TO VIDEO] Rep. Mfume joined the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and community activists on March 4, 2025, rallying to evict Elon Musk and DOGE from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Trump's attacks on our workers are a stark reminder that the rights and protections that unions have secured over generations must be continually and vigorously defended. 

As you enjoy Labor Day, I hope that you'll join me in taking a moment to remember the sheer tenacity of union leaders and members that made days like today possible. 

Let us take this moment to honor their legacy and continue to safeguard hard-won protections and rights for future generations. 

Sincerely,

Kweisi Mfume
Member of Congress