Tape Release 9/4/26

Monday is a Union Activity Day for all of our members as we celebrate you—and what we believe is one of the most important holidays of the year: Labor Day.

Labor Day means much more than the unofficial end of summer or kids heading back to school. It is a day to recognize and celebrate the American worker and the generations of working people who fought to improve our workplaces and our lives.

Before the labor movement, workers had few protections. There were no meaningful limits on the number of days or hours people could be required to work, and benefits we now value—overtime pay, paid sick time, vacations, holidays, health care, and retirement benefits—were far from guaranteed.

Those improvements did not happen by accident. They were won through the collective efforts of American workers and labor unions.

We owe a debt of gratitude to every member who came before us—and to all of you today—who have picketed, rallied, gone on strike, stood together, and had the courage and determination to stand your ground.

Because of that solidarity, our members have earned benefits we can be proud of, including paid health care with no deductibles, retirement benefits after age 65, an 8% retirement contribution, guaranteed bonuses, and annual wage increases.

Together, we have accomplished a great deal—but our work is not finished.

Our struggles on the job continue as we confront issues such as company surveillance, artificial intelligence, affordable health care, and the ability to retire with dignity. Our ability to protect what we have earned—and continue making progress—depends on our determination to stand together and maintain a strong Union.

We have even more to be proud of this year as we culminated two years of bargaining at Frontier with a new contract that provides the good wages, benefits, and job protections that our members and their families depend on.

This Labor Day, I urge all of you to join us for the annual City of Rochester Labor Day Parade and celebration at Red Wings Stadium on Monday.

We will have a float in the parade and will meet at our usual location on Meigs Street between Park Avenue and East Avenue. We’ll also have red Union T-shirts for everyone who marches.

Following the parade, join us at Red Wings Stadium for the Labor Day celebration from noon until 2:30 p.m., prior to the 4:00 p.m. game.

Labor Day belongs to working people. It is an opportunity to celebrate everything we have accomplished, remember those who fought before us, and recommit ourselves to standing together for the future.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

This is your President, John Pusloskie, thanking you for calling your Union tape.