To all those represented by NFFE1998
Labor Day is fundamentally a day of worker solidarity and union appreciation. Labor Day was established in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland as a direct response to union organizing efforts in the transportation industry. That summer, there was massive unrest and transportation strikes as Pullman railway workers fought for safer working conditions, better hours and wages, and overall fair treatment. With the intervention of federal troops, the strike turned deadly. The strike was not successful in their specific demands, but it brought the growing labor movement to national attention. While our daily lives look much different than those workers in 1894, our solidarity and organizing are much the same. Unions and NFFE1998 across the nation work every day for some of the same ideals those organizers had over 100 years ago.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
NFFE1998 National Officers
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Lee T. Wentz
President, NFFE1998 IAMAW AFL-CIO