Building a path to a better and more just America

Every day, in towns and cities all across this nation, millions of American workers face a reality in which good jobs are scarce, wages are low, benefits are few and far between, and mothers and fathers must hold multiple jobs to help support their families.

Labor Day is a chance for us to consider how tough work-life in America has become and realize that these challenges are not limited to just a few people. 

{mosads}Today, a majority of workers in the U.S. make less than $30,000 per year. So it should surprise no one to know that three-quarters of Americans feel as if they live paycheck-to-paycheck. But wages aren’t just low, they’re stuck or falling. A recent study from McKinsey shows that in the past decade, 81 percent of U.S. wage earners have seen their paychecks decline or stagnate. Meanwhile, while wages and incomes flatline for the middle and working classes, corporate profits are near their highest point in 85 years.  

In response to all this, workers have been told to be patient, that the economy will get better or is not as bad as it seems or, even worse, that the economic rewards will trickle down to them. While it is easy to believe that we can reverse this trend by supporting more progressive policies and candidates, the sad truth is that our broken and dysfunctional Congress is unlikely to change soon – regardless of who is President.

For those whose hard work makes this country succeed, we must stop waiting for a political savior – we must save ourselves. As hard as it is to believe that one’s reality can’t change, there is a better path. A union membership, more than any policy or political promise, is the one clear path to a better life that hard-working men and women in this country have earned and deserve.

Members of a union family earn, on average, a median weekly income that is over 20 percent higher than nonunion members. Over the course of a year, that difference brings thousands of extra dollars into the pockets of union members. Union members also enjoy great benefits, like health care, vacation time, paid leave and retirement, which makes it easier for them to enjoy their lives and their loved ones.

For the thousands of union members who face discrimination, unsafe workplaces, or exploitation, unions stand ready every day to help them by providing legal counsel. Union members and their families also gain exclusive discounts, such as cheaper cell phone plans and insurance, which save them a significant sum of money every year.

Given all the good that unions can do for the working and middle classes, one must face the difficult question of why those who struggle economically do not join. The simple answer would be to blame our critics and opponents.

The more difficult answer to accept is that we in labor have not done a good enough job in communicating the amazing benefits we can offer to a generation of workers who have been left behind. This must end, and it must end now.

We, across labor, must embrace the power we have to define ourselves for what we truly are – an amazing economic benefit that will improve the life of every worker – regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, faith, political identity, or sexual orientation – who joins with us. We not only put real money in our members’ pockets, but we give them something even greater: dignity, respect, and security so that they never struggle alone.

This Labor Day, we can build a path to a better and more just America. It begins with us, leaders and members of labor, and it depends upon workers reaching out and striving for more.

To those non-members who have doubts or questions, we ask you to reach out to us, or to any local union in your area, and give us a chance to earn your trust. Let us prove to you that if we work together, we can create a better life for you, your family and your community. 

Marc Perrone is the International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union.

The views expressed by authors are their own and not the views of The Hill.