Joe Ashdale for Philadelphia Weekly.
Labor Day is more than just a day off. On that day, we recognize the roots of the labor movement – fighting for job site safety, a strong middle class, livable wages, affordable health care, a voice at work, and retirement with dignity. These are what the labor movement has always fought for. And the fight goes on, especially during these difficult days when so many Americans are facing extreme challenges because of the pandemic.
As COVID-19 shut down construction sites and put thousands out of work across Philadelphia, my fellow labor leaders and I worried about how to get our members back to work safely and healthily. To ensure our members were getting back to work with their health and safety top and mind, our union developed construction industry-focused COVID-19 safety awareness protocols; they were the first approved COVID-19 construction safety training program in the City of Philadelphia.
Labor Day gives us the opportunity to remind us all of what’s important for workers and for America, especially at this time. A voice at work has made all the difference for union workers who can speak up without fear of reprisal and seek more protections against the spread of COVID-19. A 2018 MIT study found that 93 percent of American workers want a say on job safety. People at non-union workplaces live in fear if they complain or otherwise raise issues about unsafe or unhealthy work environments. A crisis like this only highlights the divide between workers who have a voice on the job site and those who don’t.
Unions hold companies accountable. They ensure that people get paid for the work they do and that their pay is at least a liveable wage, that workers have safe and healthy work environments, that workers get access to sufficient PPE and other protections, and that they can voice grievances without facing retaliation. Unions give workers the freedom to speak up to improve working conditions, which is good not just for workers but also for employers.
And unions give back. We help communities where we live and work because we believe it’s the right thing to do. After a North Philadelphia neighborhood was riddled with bullets during a standoff a year ago between police and a barricaded gunman, our union provided free repairs for residents whose windows, roofs and front doors were damaged. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve conducted several blood drives. We provide scholarships for children of our members. We partner with community and faith-based groups, school districts and vocational focused organizations to show that a career with great wages and industry-leading benefits is possible without spending thousands on a degree. With a union, a path to the middle class is possible.
We are facing tough times, in our city and across the world – COVID-19, economic strife, partisan divides. It’s also election season, when politicians on both sides will try to appeal to working people. Unions fight for what working families and communities need, and we need people in seats of power who will work with us to make our society equitable. We are fighting for a fair playing field for all Americans at work, fighting for economic policies that help everyone – not just the wealthy, and fighting for civil rights for all – not some. Finally, we fight the underground economy that cheats the City of Philadelphia and all levels of government including the social security system, straining resources established to support working Americans.
Don’t view Labor Day as only a day off from work or school. Think about what’s important, what our future can and should be, and what we can do to ensure workers across this nation are given the respect and dignity we deserve.
– Joe Ashdale is the Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of IUPAT District Council 21.
