John,

This Labor Day I’m thinking about freedom. I’m reflecting on how our movement takes the leap from where we are now to the world we want to build.

As organizers and campaigners, we know that you never accidentally win more than you demand. Many of us believe that the future of labor hinges on building a mass movement that is clear-eyed about the freedoms we all deserve, and fights for a new economy that cares for all of us.

I’m holding our friend Rich Trumka in my heart today, and reflecting on the vision he shared with our team at a campaign event in 2015. Standing before a room full of organizers and community members kicking off our ambitious next chapter, President Trumka reminded us to be expansive and steadfast in our vision. He said, “the success of the movements for economic, racial, and environmental justice are bound together as one."

He couldn’t have been more right. The hegemony of neoliberalism is a threat to all of us. Workers can and must be the force that wrestles our future from its grasp. I’m thankful for the leadership of new AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler, and inspired to see her step up as the first woman in that role. Liz is committed to investing in care, and she is acting on the momentum of the organizing and strikes happening on the ground.

This moment calls for massive organizing -- we aspire to be a clear, organized, and mobilized majority. One urgent step is to protect the right to organize by advancing legislation like the PRO Act. We also have to transform our economy and democracy from the ground up. Here at PowerSwitchAction, we’re working to create multiracial feminist democracies in cities and towns across the United States as a means to liberate all of us.

Our long term agenda is guided by four interwoven core strategies:

Building authentic, inclusive democracy
Creating a people’s economy that works for the many, not the few
Activating our communities through civic organizations
Reining in corporate power to reclaim our rights and public goods

We’d love to have you join us on this journey. To learn more about our long term agenda, visit ourlta.org.

In Solidarity,