By Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
Labor Day means many things to many people — back to school, the end of summer, a needed respite from the daily grind. For working people and union members, Labor Day stands for something special and profound.
It’s a day to honor the deep commitment each of us has to serve the children we teach, the families we heal and the communities we love. It’s a day to reflect on the values we hold dear — that every American should have access to a good job that can support a family, with access to affordable healthcare; that every child should be able to attend a high-quality public school in his or her neighborhood; that college should not be a luxury for the few but should be affordable for all; and that we should be able to retire with dignity after a lifetime of hard work, without worrying that we’ll be a burden to our loved ones.
Working people built this country — we did it together — brick by brick, school by school, town by town. Through these collective efforts, we built the middle class, each generation did a little better than the one before, we advanced the ideals of equality and justice, and we expanded opportunity for all.
The work you do builds upon this foundation. Your work has value. It should be respected and honored, not just on Labor Day but every day.
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