Solidarity this Labor Day

 

On this Labor Day, I’m reflecting on our continued fight to end economic inequality in our communities and protect the essential workers who have kept our country running amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

I want to take a moment today to say thank you to all of those workers who have always been essential, and who have stepped up in support of our communities.

Know that I am grateful for your labor and the sacrifices you have made over these last six months, and that I will keep working to legislate critical protections for all workers, so that no one has to sacrifice their safety to stay employed and keep food on the table.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated deeply entrenched injustices and inequities that have long existed in our country — while 40 million people have lost their jobs and millions more workers have been forced to risk their health and the health of their loved ones, those at the very top have only gotten richer.

No one should live in poverty or be forced to choose between their lives and their livelihoods, especially during a pandemic and especially in the richest country in the world.

Let me be clear. These inequities did not happen by chance; they are the result of decades of policies designed to favor the top one percent at the expense of workers. But that also means they can be undone — with legislation, organization, and purposeful advocacy.

That is why, today and every day, I am so grateful for the labor movement, which has been on the frontlines for generations, fighting for a living wage, critical workplace protections, and to ensure that those closest to the pain remain closest to the power.

I will continue to fight in partnership with all of you for the basic rights all workers deserve. Together, we will pass legislation like the PAID Leave Act and the Essential Workers Bill of Rights. We will organize, mobilize, and legislate for policies like Medicare for All, rent and mortgage cancellation, and a living wage.

In the midst of enormous challenges, I stand shoulder to shoulder with our essential workers and all those in the labor movement, and I’m confident that, together, we will rise.

In solidarity,

- Ayanna

 

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