Unions helped create Labor Day

To the editor:
For many of us in the labor movement, Labor Day is a time to have picnics & rallies and be with the family. It is also a time to reflect on the sacrifices of those U.S. workers who came before us, especially those who lost their lives in the fight for justice at the work place.
In 1893, New York City workers took an unpaid day off from work to march around Union Square in support of a National Labor Day. Then President Grover Cleveland signed legislation making the first Monday in September Labor Day.
Labor unions are made up of working people working together to solve problems, build stronger workplaces, and give working families a real voice. Unions give workers a voice on the best way to get the work done and a say in  safety on the job. They also give workers the chance to negotiate their own pay & benefits, like health care and pensions.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for year 2010, union workers earn 28 percent more each week than non-union workers.
The union wage benefit is even greater for minorities and women. Union women earn 34 percent more than non-union women. African-American union workers earn 31 percent more than non-union African-American workers. Latino union workers earn 51 percent more than Latino non-union workers.
Union workers are 84 percent more likely to have health care benefits compared to 64 percent of non-union workers. In addition, 78 percent of union workers are more likely to have a defined benefit pension, compared to 19 percent of non-union workers.
Unions give working people a voice in government. They represent working families before lawmakers and make sure politicians never forget working families voted them into office.
The record is 100 percent crystal clear that labor unions are great for America. The proof is in the statistics! Therefore, join a union! Thank God for labor unions, because they help bring the lower wage income families into the middle class.
Let us never forget that the labor movement (unions) brought us Labor Day.
In solidarity,
Rick Vitatoe, executive officer, Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics, and Allied Workers International Union and vice president, Indiana State AFL-CIO[[In-content Ad]]