Friend,

Like so many, Labor Day is personal for me.

My grandfather was a UAW worker and a secretary in the union. His ability to organize helped my family break out of poverty and get into the middle class. My grandmother is from a family of mineworkers in Iowa. And without those folks who fought for better wages and more benefits alongside my grandparents, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I’ve always deeply believed that our country is stronger when our workers can easily organize and join unions.

But Donald Trump has led an all-out attack on unions, aided by extremist Republicans in Congress, a conservative Supreme Court, and big corporations who pad their business margins with dangerous working conditions and low wages. It’s one of the many reasons we must ensure that come November, Trump and his anti-union and anti-worker administration won’t have the ability to hurt our workers any longer.

Today, I’m reflecting on the movement that secured us many of the protections our labor force relies on, and recommitting myself to continuing the fight for expanded workers’ rights — like increases in wages, better workplace safety protections, and hazard pay — especially as we rely on essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Thank you for joining me in solidarity with organized labor, and I hope you have a restful Labor Day.

Cory