White on White

Today is Labor Day in the U.S., one of the more meaningful holidays for me. It's the 'labor' in the celebration that I honor. I've always respected the labor movement, and when it was time for me to raise my hand, I did. I was elected to three terms as president of my local teachers union. I believe in workers rights, including the right to organize.

If you enjoy not having to work weekends, working 40 hours with overtime pay, having sick days and paid time off, and safe working conditions, you can thank labor leaders. Thousands of Americans have marched, protested and participated in strikes in order to create fairer, more equitable labor laws and workplaces — and still do today.

How the Pullman Railroad strike led to the creation of the Labor Day holiday.