Labor Day 2024 Statement from President Gresham

Labor Day 2024 Statement from 1199SEIU President George Gresham:

“On behalf of the 450,000 healthcare workers across our Union family, Happy Labor Day!

“More than just ‘the unofficial last day of summer,’ Labor Day is a holiday with a deep history and meaning for working people.  We celebrate the achievements that workers have won through decades of organizing to build our collective power, advance social and economic justice, and demand a greater share of the wealth we produce.

“We recognize that the most basic rights and protections we have today—such as the 40-hour workweek, bans against child labor, anti-discrimination laws, and the concept of the weekend—exist solely because millions of workers of all backgrounds organized unions, went on strike, and even died for our freedoms.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ‘the labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.’

“In the field of healthcare, we know that having a strong union voice is paramount to improving our jobs and being the most effective advocates for the people we care for.  We take great pride at 1199 of winning the highest standards for healthcare workers, and these achievements are made through the dedicated activism of members and our commitment to political action.

“Labor Day is about solidarity among all workers.  We reject the type of politics that seek to sow division across race, religion, immigration status, gender identity, or any other aspect of our diversity.  In just two months, we will have the most consequential election of our lifetimes, one which will decide the future of our labor movement, our jobs, and our freedoms.  To build a bright future for working families, our path is clear—continuing to grow worker power on the job, in our communities, and at the ballot box!”