I hope you’re enjoying your Labor Day.

This day is a day to honor and respect everyone who works for a living and we remember the hard work, bloodshed, and sacrifice that generations of union organizers and workers put in to deliver to us things we now consider routine: the 8 hour work day, the 5 day work week, this three day weekend.

Labor day commemorates this and our continued commitment to fighting for workers’ rights.

I’m proud of Montana’s rich history of unions and the value of hard, collective work that permeates throughout the culture of our state. It’s what makes Montana a special place in our country, but it’s quickly becoming a target for Republican attacks. We needed unions to protect workers from the Copper Kings, and we need unions now, as corporations are forcing people to work more, but earn less. Unions are one of our best ways to fight back against the growing income inequality plaguing this country.

In Congress, I’ll do what I’ve done as an advocate for labor: I’ll defend workers’ rights, fight for fair wages, and stand up to corporations, just as I always have. Working Montanans deserve a true voice in Congress -- one that’s not overshadowed by corporate priorities or special interests but who has a track record of standing up to them.

In solidarity,

Monica Tranel