Something we can all agree upon …

It's not so easy to find a holiday that crosses so many boundaries: racial, religious, ethnic, generational, and gender lines. Questions of: Your political party, Mets or Yankees fan, Beyoncé or Swift, married or single, gay or straight, homeowner or renter, blue collar or white-collar worker, union member or not, public or private sector, high school or college grad, drive an SUV or compact car, pet owner or not, vegan or meat eater — all matter very little.

For sure, it's not easy to find a holiday that most Americans celebrate in similar ways — usually involving a hot dog or two ... but whether it's all beef or tofu, yes: Labor Day is a rarity: A holiday we can agree upon.

Congress created Labor Day in 1894 by making the first Monday in September a national holiday — but only did so in response to the death of 34 striking Pullman workers from the American Railway Union at the hands of U.S. Army soldiers and marshals.

And then there's the Labor Day Parade. It's not held on Labor Day. That's usually when so many of us are sad about the summer's end and reserve the day to get in those last rays of summer sun, a swim at the beach, flipping burgers on the BBQ, watching the U.S. Open tennis match on TV, or hunting for "Back to School" sales. Instead, the parade is held a week later.

New York City's Labor Day parade has some major distinctions: It's not only the largest one in the nation, but also the oldest. The parade was organized by the New York City Central Labor Council in 1882, when an unheard-of number of workers — 10,000 — took off from their jobs in celebration of worker solidarity and pride, and marched from Union Square to City Hall. Through the years, Labor Day and the parade have come to symbolize the long-lasting presence and indestructible power of the labor movement, despite the efforts by the corporate 1% in America who decry unions as contributing to driving up prices with higher production and service costs — and thereby, affecting bottom line. They, and some others in power — not only in big business, but government, too — fear the power of our unity, and worry that our voices represent votes. They are simply trying to do us in.

And it's been working. Currently, union membership is at an all-time low of only around 10.7% nationwide (equaling one in 10 workers) compared with peak years of the mid-1950s, when membership was 40% of all American workers (or four out of every 10 workers). New York State leads the nation with the highest percentage of union workers — nearly 24%. Of that number, nearly 70% are public sector workers, with African Americans making up the largest component of that group.

At Teamsters Local 237, we understand the value of unity, and our commitment to it is both practical and moral. We know the facts. For example, non-union workers earn on average 20% less than union members. We know, too, that the 40-hour work week, health benefits, paid vacation and family leave, and the $17 an-hour minimum wage are just some of the hard-fought — and hard-won — battles. We also know that workers' rights and civil rights are unquestionably intertwined.

Let'snot forget that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis when he joined striking sanitation workers — men who made $1.65 an hour and were treated by their bosses like the garbage they collected. Dr. King believed that "The labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standard of millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers."

Now, there seems to be a glimmer of hope that the anti-union trend is starting to end, as many average Americans are coming to the realization that unions matter. They help to make our lives better. In fact, the approval rating of labor unions has recently been on the rise. Some have speculated that the Covid crisis helped with this current trend.

Too many Americans learned the hard way that many of our government institutions and leaders were ill-prepared for the catastrophes so many endured. They came to rely on their unions to do something, and unions did. We distributed face masks and plastic gloves. We provided health and death benefits. We provided our members and their families with a fast, reliable, and professional response to their needs along with a sympathetic, compassionate ear. They knew we had their backs in a horrific, unprecedented time of chaos and confusion.

Renewed interest in belonging to a union may also have a link to the phrase that developed into a long-held quest for many people: achieving the "American dream." Coined by historian James Truslow Adams during the Great Depression, the phrase symbolizes the desire for a better future that could be obtained in this country through hard work.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his 1933 inaugural address, famously declared about the challenges of troubling times: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," and continued in his speech to emphasize the spiritual qualities underlying the American dream by saying, "Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement."

However it is defined, for some, the American dream remains just a dream whose realization may never come — and is reduced to being a nice idea that more aptly fits a different time in American history. For others, especially many new immigrants in the current surge of migration, the dream has become a political dog whistle that often stokes fear among America's current residents and hinges on racism ... a nice idea that wasn't meant for them — perhaps it's just a mall in New Jersey.

Interestingly, in 1997, 72% of Americans thought the American dream was possible. Today, studies indicate, "not so much."

Here's where labor unions come in. Just like our role in helping to build the middle class in America in the 1950s, we are both the ramrod and the equalizer. Especially as we work to cultivate a next generation of active union members, the labor movement can be a bridge to tomorrow and the new American dream. We fight for the rights of workers while helping to create a level playing field where the American dream is not the sole property of the corporate 1%. We help give everyone a fair chance. An opportunity. We help by giving hope.

This is why we march in the Labor Day parade. There were thousands of union members sending a clear message to elected leaders and to the public at large: "You can bash us. You can try to bust us. We are not going away. Be our friend, not our foe. We have a voice

This is something we all agree upon."