Al Franken: Not just another holiday

[Omaha Steve]

Labor Day has never been just another holiday to me.

Maybe it's because I've been a member of four unions myself. Maybe it's because, for many years, my family and I received our health care coverage from one of them. But it's been clear to me as long as I've been heading to work every day, American prosperity rests on the backs of working men and women and the families and communities they create.

It's so important that we take a day every year to honor the contributions of the labor movement. They struggled year after year against a system that didn't want to change -- but they didn't give up, and, well you know the end of the story.

Thanks to their fight, middle-class families have pensions and benefits. They can expect and demand fair wages for an honest day's work. And we all have the right to be treated justly and fairly by our employers, not to mention the most innovative of creations -- the weekend.

But the struggle of the working American is more than just our history. Turns out that wasn't the end of the story after all. Today's fight for middle class families and their rights is as important as ever.

Let's take this Labor Day to remember those who came before, and recommit ourselves to the fight to preserve and expand America's middle class.

Thanks for standing up for what's right, and have a great day today.

Al

Paid for and authorized by Al Franken for Senate 2014