5 key issues define past, future of U.S. labor movement

Labor Day is set aside to honor working people and celebrate the efforts of organized labor. It is a time to thank workers for building the middle class and bringing prosperity to our country.

It also a time for labor leaders like myself to educate the public on the adverse effects of increased corporate consolidation, an ever-growing amount of money in politics and, subsequently, the harmful, anti-worker legislation that millions of Americans are currently up against.

Although workers continue to struggle — especially here in Atlanta, where income inequality is the highest among the nation’s 50 largest cities — I do not seek to chastise or dwell on the negative.

Instead, I seek to find common ground in the hope of broadening support for the Atlanta metro labor movement in the hopes of building solidarity for workers’ rights.

Since I first joined the labor movement in 1976, I have made the case for labor unions by posing five simple questions to anyone who doubts the need for representation in the workplace. Most recently, I have posed these questions with members of the Atlanta business community, where even among an audience of CEOs, these questions transcended party lines.

I begin with a no-brainer: “Do you believe all workers deserve safety on the job?” Everyone nods in agreement.

We can all agree that safety in the workplace is not just a matter of workers’ rights; it’s a moral right. Throughout labor history, worker safety has been the hardest-fought union issue. And yet, most Americans are unaware that it is an issue we face today.

In 2016, nearly 5,000 workers lost their lives and 2.9 million workers were injured while on the job. These deaths and injuries are preventable.

I then ask, “Do you believe workers deserve a fair paycheck — the right to earn a decent wage to provide for them and their family?”

Although we may not all agree on what constitutes fair pay, I think we can all agree that underpaid workers in Atlanta are struggling at the expense of the entire community. That’s why the unions are fighting to win workers a minimum wage of $15 an hour. Better wages will not only help workers succeed, it will also help companies succeed — allowing employers to recruit and retain talent, increase productivity and enhance quality and service.

This same logic can be applied to my following three questions: “Do you believe workers deserve quality health care? Time off? Retirement security?”

A fair wage means little when you cannot afford health care coverage; likewise, there is no such thing as a good job that leaves workers without time off, or the ability to retire with dignity. Collective bargaining is rooted in the well-being of working people.

Politics can be divisive, but whether Republican or Democrat, we can all agree that we need good middle-class jobs with workplace safety, fair wages, quality health care, sufficient time off and strong retirement security. We have more in common than we think, particularly when it comes to how we treat workers. These five labor issues reflect our core values as Americans.

This Labor Day, let’s all agree on protecting our workers and providing them with the resources and protections needed to provide for their family and live a decent life.