Celebrating Labor Day — Remembering the Past and Protecting the Future

On Monday, September 7, 2026, the United States will again pause to observe Labor Day. This annual holiday is the one day of the year that America’s workers are recognized for building this great nation.

Personally, I always think about my parents on Labor Day. I was raised on a 47-acre farm near Bad Axe, Michigan. We grew navy beans, soybeans and tomatoes. In addition to working on the farm, my father worked outside the farm as a butcher. My mother was a respiratory therapist for a small regional hospital, in addition to being a homemaker.

My father would get up early to attend the farm chores every day before heading to the butcher shop. Michigan winters are hard, and he braved the snow and ice in the dark before heading off to a second job to provide for our family. Multiple job families have long been the norm in the United States, as working Americans try to get ahead and provide their children with a better life than they had.

One of the tragic things about current life in America is the inability to get ahead even when working multiple jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, last November there were 9.3 million Americans working more than one job. Every worker deserves a living wage. Americans shouldn’t have to work multiple jobs to provide the necessities of life. No person who works 40 hours a week should have to worry about a place to live, something to eat and basic health care.

This Labor Day, we must honor our past while protecting the future. Let’s remember those like my parents and your parents who worked to build the middle class. Also, we must build for the future by electing politicians that defend workers instead of billionaires. Our children shouldn’t have to work two jobs just to have the necessities of life.

Let's make this Labor Day about the past and the future and honor all workers both past, present and in the future.

In Solidarity,

Mike