NEW YORK – Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) issued the following statement on Labor Day:

“So much of what we need to be healthy and whole that we take for granted — whether it’s the weekend, holidays like Labor Day, or safer working conditions — is due to the tireless work of the labor movement. When working people come together to fight for what is fair and hold the wealthy and powerful to account, history shows us that true progress is possible.

“Today I am thinking about the essential workers and care workers who have been egregiously underpaid and undervalued long before the pandemic, and that is a burden that Black and brown women disproportionately bear. Care workers are critical infrastructure; our economy simply would not function, let alone thrive, without them. We are also grateful to the first responders and emergency personnel who have been working around the clock the past few days to respond to the destruction of Hurricane Ida, save lives, and start the long journey to recovery.

“At this moment in American history, corporate interests continue to attack workers’ rights and the gap between the very rich and the rest of us has almost never been wider. I’m proud to stand in solidarity with workers in NY-16 and across the country as we fight to level the playing field. Let’s invest in our care economy. Let’s pass the PRO Act. Let’s protect workers’ rights everywhere.”

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