A Letter From the Founders of LaborForce Media
September holds profound meaning for America’s labor community. It is a month in which we celebrate the dignity of work, honor extraordinary sacrifice, remember those we have lost, and recommit ourselves to caring for the people who keep our communities and our country moving forward.
Labor Day arrives on September 7, with parades and gatherings taking place across the country. These events are more than a holiday tradition. They are a public expression of solidarity and a reminder that many of the rights working people have today were earned through generations of courage, persistence, and collective action.
We encourage every member of the LaborForce Media community to attend a Labor Day parade or community celebration near you. Bring your family. Wear your union colors. Thank the workers marching beside you. Show the next generation what solidarity looks like.
When we stand along a parade route or march together through our communities, we recognize the union members and working people who build our infrastructure, educate our children, protect our neighborhoods, care for the sick, deliver essential services, and respond when our nation needs them most.
That spirit of service carries special significance this September as America marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
We remember, with deep sorrow and gratitude, every person whose life was taken that day. We honor the families who have carried their loss for 25 years and the survivors who continue to live with the physical and emotional consequences of the attacks.
We also remember the thousands of workers who answered the call.
Firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, operating engineers, ironworkers, electricians, laborers, carpenters, plumbers, steamfitters, sheet metal workers, communications workers, transit workers, sanitation workers, healthcare professionals, public employees, and members of many other unions and trades rushed toward devastation when others were trying to escape it.
They searched for survivors. They cleared debris. They restored essential services. They supported grieving families and a shaken city. In the years that followed, union workers helped rebuild Lower Manhattan and demonstrated what service, skill, courage, and solidarity truly mean.
Many responders and recovery workers later became ill because of their service. Many have since died. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten, and their families must never be left to carry that burden alone.
To help preserve these stories, LaborForce Media is launching Labor’s 9/11 Legacy: How America’s Unions Answered the Call—and Rebuilt a Nation. This special podcast series will document the role of organized labor in the rescue, recovery, cleanup, and rebuilding following the September 11 attacks. It is our tribute to those who served and our commitment to ensuring that their contributions remain part of America’s history.
September also marks the launch of The Daily Jolt with Rick Smith, a new daily radio and podcast show powered by LaborForce Media. The program will give working people a consistent place to hear the news, conversations, and perspectives affecting their jobs, families, unions, and communities. We believe labor’s voice deserves to be heard every day—not only during moments of crisis or celebration.
Throughout the month, we will also highlight the members of America’s uniformed services. These public servants accept enormous responsibility, often under difficult and dangerous conditions. We are grateful for their service and proud to share stories that recognize both their contributions and the challenges they face.
That includes the mental and emotional toll carried by many workers. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and it reminds us that solidarity must include looking after one another. Workers in the building trades, emergency services, healthcare, transportation, public safety, and other demanding professions can face tremendous stress, trauma, and isolation. Asking for help is not a weakness. Reaching out to someone who may be struggling is an act of strength and solidarity.
This September, let us remember those we lost, honor those who served, support those who are struggling, and stand proudly with working people everywhere.
Attend a Labor Day parade. Listen to and share labor’s stories. Check on a coworker, friend, or family member. Thank a uniformed service member or skilled tradesperson. Most importantly, help ensure that the lessons of sacrifice, solidarity, and service are carried forward.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Kerri O’Brien and Darren Yelin
Co-Founders, LaborForce Media
The #1 Union News Source
Tags: Union Labor