Progress Iowa <press@progressiowa.org>

Wed 9/1/2021 2:00 PM

For Immediate Release: September 1, 2021

Contact: Ivy Beckenholdt, ivy@progressiowa.org

Iowans Want September To Be Declared Labor Union Appreciation Month

More than 80 elected officials, organizations, and businesses sign on in support at thankaunion.com 

Proclamation request made of Gov. Reynolds to recognize Labor Union Appreciation Month

Des Moines, Iowa — Iowans are speaking out in support of recognizing September as Labor Union Appreciation Month. More than eighty elected officials, organizations, and businesses have signed on to the effort at ThankAUnion.com.

A proclamation recognizing September as Labor Union Appreciation Month will be requested from the office of Governor Kim Reynolds, as well as from cities and counties across the state. Supporters of Labor Union Appreciation Month will also share information about the important role labor unions have had and continue to have in Iowa and across the country.

“The Iowa State Education Association stands with our labor family in celebration of Labor Union Appreciation Month. We are proud of our collective efforts promoting safe and healthy working conditions, health care benefits for employees and families, increased wages and salaries, and a just and equitable workplace. Joining a union is how people gain a voice at work and the self-empowerment to shape their working lives for the better,” said ISEA President Mike Beranek.

“Labor unions are crucial for worker safety here in Iowa, and the pandemic, Anamosa, and collective bargaining attacks truly brought that to the forefront,” said Rick Eilander, President of AFSCME Council 61. “That’s why now is the time for Labor Union Appreciation Month to be recognized. Every Iowan deserves to feel safe and respected on the job. We’ve been advocating for that everyday, but we need the public’s support to win this fight.”

“Labor Union Appreciation Month is a great opportunity to empower Iowa’s workers,” said Charlie Wishman, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “While Iowans have gained important working conditions because of unions, we have further to go. With outdated laws, negotiating and bargaining for better wages, sick leave, and other benefits has become more difficult. Workers deserve to have a voice, and recognizing labor unions and the work being done to advocate for employees across the state can have a true impact this month and beyond.”

“Labor unions are regularly the unsung heroes in our country,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “They fight for working families to have better pay and better lives, and every one of us benefits, because we all have higher wages, safer workplaces, and more quality of life as a result. If you like having paid sick leave, vacation days, or things as basic as child labor laws, you should thank a union. And if you want working families to have a seat at the table when it comes to determining the future of our state and country, you should support labor unions.”