Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler marking International Workers’ Day:
On May Day, we honor the legacy and bravery of workers throughout history who made sacrifices, and fought for dignity and justice on the job for every working person. We also are reminded that the struggle for workers’ rights continues.
Today, millions of workers in America and around the world are leading an unprecedented resurgence of the labor movement. We are raising our voices, courageously taking collective action to transform our workplaces and demanding that we have the opportunity to share in the wealth we help to create. At the same time, wealthy corporations and businesses are leveraging their influence to stifle worker power and rig the rules of the economy in their favor. They want to undo the progress the labor movement has made over decades to gain livable wages, high-quality health care and benefits, retirement security and stronger protections on the job. But history is on our side, and we refuse to go back.
No matter who we are, where we were born, the language we speak or what faith we practice, all working people deserve to be treated with respect and fairness. We are never more powerful than when we are united, and we remain committed to building a global economy with working people at the center.