John,

This Labor Day won’t be the same without the parades and community celebrations of the progress we’ve made thanks to organized labor.

But as income inequality grows worse and wages stagnate, there’s never been a more important time to say, proudly, that I’ll be a pro-union representative in Congress. 

I grew up in a union family -- my grandfather on one side was a union mechanic working at Midway International Airport, and my grandfather on the other side was a union carpenter. (I still have a double desk he built for me and my sister.) When organized labor is strong, all workers are treated and paid better, and middle-class families feel real gains.

That’s why we need more leaders in Washington who will stand up to Republicans and interest groups that constantly attack unions and try to make it harder for workers to organize.

I’ll support policies that address declining union membership -- starting with more vocational and career training in schools that help improve access to unions and trades programs. And I plan to pass legislation that would require a member of labor management be represented on every board of directors, which will foster a stronger relationship between union members and its leadership.

Finally, I want to invest in green technology and workforce training that will help create thousands of jobs for skilled workers and also combating the existential threat of climate change.

You can probably tell I’m fired up to be a voice for working families in Congress. I’m going to spend the next 57 days doing everything I can to get there.

Happy Labor Day to you and yours -- in solidarity,

Marie