I know I've spoken about this before, but with each week, I'm amazed — although I guess I shouldn't be — at the new attacks on labor, the working class, women, and minorities that pour out of Washington, D.C. We knew it was going to be a rough four years, but I'm not sure any of us knew to what lengths this president would go to dismantle all that we in labor have worked so hard to build.
Across the country, we're seeing a disturbing rise in government policies aimed at weakening workers' rights, silencing our voices, and dismantling the power of organized labor.
From attempts to roll back collective bargaining rights to legislation aimed at making it harder to unionize, it's clear that the current presidential administration, while elected by the people, is not on the side of working people.
We are living in a time when working people across the country are under constant attack by our own government leaders. Anti-union policies are being pushed at the federal – and in some cases even at state and local levels – to weaken our collective power, silence our voices, and make it harder for working people to stand up for fair pay, safe workplaces, and basic dignity on the job. These policies take many forms—right-to-work laws that erode union membership, efforts to gut public sector bargaining rights, and rules designed to delay or deny union elections.
These efforts are part of coordinated, well-funded agendas by those who want to return to the days when workers had no say, no protections, and no recourse. I want to be clear about one thing: when unions are under attack, the entire working class is under attack. Without unions, wages will fall, benefits will start to disappear, job safety will decline, economic inequality will grow, and the promise of a better life for the next generation will fade.
Anti-union policies don’t just hurt union members; they hurt all workers. When unions are strong, workers are strong, and when there are no unions, which is what this president wants, the entire working middle-class population suffers.
The labor movement is not just about wages, however; it’s about justice, democracy, and human dignity. What’s happening across this country threatens the very foundation of workers’ rights and the future of organized labor. The surge of anti-union government policies designed to undermine, discredit, and dismantle the collective power of working people is not only an attempt to weaken the power of unions, but weaken democracy itself.
And it doesn’t stop at the workplace. These same anti-union forces are often the ones attacking voting rights, public education, social programs, and immigrant communities. They thrive when we’re divided. But the labor movement is rooted in unity, solidarity, and a shared commitment to strength that is the core of our foundation.
We have faced these attacks before throughout history. We’ve stood on picket lines. We’ve been blacklisted and vilified in the press. But every time, we came back stronger because we knew what we were fighting for. After all, unions built the middle class. We fought for—and won—the weekend, the 8-hour workday, health benefits, retirement security, and the right to speak up without fear. We’ve always h sad to fight for what’s right and now is no different.
As organized labor, our fight is never over; sometimes it just slows down. Now is not that time. Now is the time we need to strengthen our resolve. Round up more troops. Make our voices louder. We cannot allow our hard-fought rights to be stripped away by politicians’ calculated efforts to undo decades of struggle. The rights we have were not given to us; we earned them through strikes, marches that included brutal beatings and death, negotiations, and solidarity.
We can’t, and won’t, let the Trump administration turn back the clock to a time when workers had no rights. We will not be silent. We will not stand down. We’ve already seen how right-to-work laws weaken union membership and bargaining strength. The Trump administration is now pushing legislation to restrict public sector unions, attack prevailing wage laws, and slash labor protections. In some cases, anti-union officials are being appointed to key labor boards.
This administration knows what it’s doing. They have a plan. But so do we. We need to send a message to our elected officials at all levels of government that you are either with the working people or you are with the billionaires and corporations trying to destroy the backbone of what keeps America running.
Now more than ever, we must stay united — at work, in our communities, and at the ballot box. In New York City, we have a Democratic Primary in June, one that will determine our next mayor. We have endorsed Adrienne Adams because she has been, and will always be, on the side of labor and the working, middle class. Adrienne has stood with labor not just in words, but in action. She has not only attended our Equal Pay Day rallies but stood front and center in unity, supported our legislation, answered our calls, and come to our defense when the attacks have been relentless.
Our next mayor will be the one to guide this city for the next four years. The one we will negotiate our next contract with. The one who can help labor stand strong against federal attempts to destroy us.
If you can vote in the June primary, please vote for the candidate who comes without scandal, without a history of destroying the pension system, and without wanting to destroy collective bargaining rights.
The organized labor movement belongs to all of us. Together, we are unstoppable. Because when they come for one of us—they come for all of us. We are not backing down. We are not giving in. And we are not going anywhere.
We are labor and we are just getting started.