Reps. Debbie Dingell, Steven Horsford, Donald Norcross, and Mark Pocan are co-chairs of the Congressional Labor Caucus.
For millions of Americans, Labor Day weekend is filled with enjoying the weather and time with family. But as a nation, we must remember that the weekend itself was paid for by the sweat, sacrifice, and solidarity of the labor movement. This holiday is a time to thank America’s unions and celebrate hard-fought, historic victories.
Labor Day’s roots can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, when many workers, including children, worked 12-hour days, seven days a week, to carve out a modest living. These conditions and repeated abuses by employers breathed new life into the labor movement, through which workers stood up, boycotted, picketed, fought, and died to win the eight-hour workday, the 40-hour workweek, and the workplace protections that we enjoy today.
Labor Day is a stark reminder that the fight for workers’ rights is far from over.
Today’s similarities to that moment are unmistakable. Labor Day is a stark reminder that the fight for workers’ rights is far from over. Two years into the Trump administration, corporations have continued to consolidate their immense control and wealth. In 2026, we watched Elon Musk become the world’s first trillionaire while the average American worker has been forced to do more while earning less—leading many to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
This administration has actively emboldened anti-worker behavior, cementing its legacy as one of the most aggressively anti-union administrations in American history. While posting record profits, corporations are clamping down on organizers who are just seeking workers’ fair share.
Dismissals of unfair labor practice charges brought by unions and workers have surged under the Trump-era National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). President Trump’s decision to illegally fire Gwynne Wilcox prevented the Board from having the quorum required to decide cases for nearly a year. The Board’s abdication of its job and its indefinite delays have left the door open for employer exploitation. In this climate, nurses in Des Moines, retail workers in Annapolis, nonprofit workers in New York City, refinery workers in Indiana, car manufacturing workers in Alabama, and federal workers have all been subjected to fierce union-busting efforts.
Despite these setbacks, support for unions stands at a decades-long high and unions continue to achieve historic victories. From autoworkers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts, workers have stood up, demanded their fair share, and secured landmark contracts.
We’ve reached an inflection point where many working Americans feel like neither party is responsive to their needs. They have been sold a false bill of goods that if you work hard, you will be able to succeed. Instead, they continue to be crushed by rising prices and widening inequality. Americans are tired of waiting for an economy that will work for them and their families.
Reversing this trend requires bold action, and we see an opportunity for millions of workers to join a movement to demand more for working people. Research indicates that tens of millions of workers would join a union if they had the opportunity.
This Labor Day, the Congressional Labor Caucus remains committed to a modern, forward-looking vision for our economy that delivers on the promise of the American dream, that returns power to working people, creates jobs at home, and raises wages, benefits, and working conditions for all.
Our work starts with protecting and expanding workers’ right to organize, including by passing the PRO Act and other meaningful labor reforms. We know that collective bargaining remains one of the strongest tools to rebalance the scales back toward workers. Jobs are better when workers can organize, bargain collectively, and win first contracts.
Every worker in America deserves a good job and a level playing field. Access to a good-paying job remains the strongest safety net in this country, and elected officials must create and expand pathways to opportunity. That includes supporting high-standard workforce development programs, re-establishing fair trade that creates a race to the top for American workers, and correcting the harms caused by decades of offshoring that has hollowed out communities across the country.
Every worker in America deserves to earn a fair wage and benefits for their labor. When you receive a paycheck, you should be confident you can afford rent, groceries, gas, utilities, and other monthly expenses. The federal minimum wage, which has remained frozen at $7.25 for the last 17 years, is a clear example of the neglect of American workers’ needs. That delay in raising the wage is not a coincidence; it’s a choice to prioritize those at the top instead of the people who built this country. Raising workers’ wages is a first, and bare minimum, step we must take. We must also deliver on benefits that every worker deserves, including expanding access to high-quality paid leave, health care, a dignified retirement, and safety on the job.
As America marks its 250th year, this Labor Day cannot just be about reflecting on what our workers have built: It must also be about fighting for what they deserve. We must recommit ourselves to create an economy that rewards hard work over corporate greed.
The labor movement was built on collective action. Workers and their advocates don’t just organize; we energize and mobilize. Now, we must stand together with one unified voice to demand an economy that actually works for working people.
