Labor Day is a time to celebrate the contributions of working people. They built this country, and by organizing and joining unions, they also built the middle class, creating a better quality of life for generations of working families. But on this Labor Day, working people are struggling amid an affordability crisis that shows no signs of letting up.
Workers’ paychecks aren’t going as far as they used to. The cost of putting food on the table and heating and cooling our homes is up. Rents are higher, and for far too many, homeownership is simply out of reach, not to mention the rising cost of healthcare and childcare. Far too many workers are not only living paycheck to paycheck but often are one unexpected bill away from falling behind.
Yet, working people continue to show up every day, do more with less, and play by the rules, while wealthy elites in power enjoy record tax breaks, set policies that put profits ahead of people, and attack workers’ rights.
These attacks are like nothing we’ve ever seen before. It started on Jan. 20, 2025. The new administration immediately implemented Project 2025, tearing up collective bargaining agreements that covered 900,000 federal workers, stripping them of their right to have a voice in their workplace.
But they were far from finished.
The Big “Ugly” Bill followed, cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits. They gutted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Departments of Labor and Education. The attacks are unprecedented.
But, by standing together, workers can not only withstand those attacks but ultimately prosper.
Here in New York State, we are already making gains. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2025, we had a net gain of 129,000 union members.
We’ve passed legislation to raise unemployment benefits, secured legislation to protect workers from the vast unknowns of artificial intelligence, and enhanced retirement benefits for public sector workers.
Workers know that when you join a union, it means wages go up, workplaces are safer, and retirement security increases. Billionaires and wealthy CEOs know it too, which is why they will keep making it difficult for workers to organize.
A recent study found that 50 million Americans would join a union tomorrow if they could. It’s because people trust unions more than any other institution in America. More than 70% of Americans and nearly 9 in 10 people younger than 30 support unions.
The stakes have never been higher than they are in this election cycle.
That is why, through our enhanced member-to-member program, we will knock on more doors, make more phone calls, and send more texts to ensure we elect the candidates who share our vision for the future.
Rest assured, the New York State AFL-CIO will lead the fight every single day to raise the standard of living and quality of life of all working people.
And by making our voices heard from Labor Day to Election Day and beyond, we will continue to show everyone that here in New York State, we are union strong.
Cilento is president of the New York State AFL-CIO, a federation of 3,000 unions, representing 2.5 million members, retirees, and their families.