Sept. 7—The union label may not be sewn, printed, pasted or stapled onto every union-made good consumers buy, but it can found almost everywhere.
And during Union Label Week, Sept. 5–10, unions and union members are reaching out to their local communities to remind friends and neighbors about the value union members add to America’s quality of life and to urge them to “Buy Union.”
Charles Mercer, president of the AFL-CIO Union Label and Service Trades Department (UL&STD), says the goal of Union Label Week is spotlighting union-made products and services—and highlighting how union members “add immeasurably to the quality of life for all Americans.”
“Unions and their members set the standards for employment value beyond pay—from decent working conditions and a voice on the job to health care, pensions, vacations and holidays,” Mercer says.
Union Label Department Offers Action Toolkit
Mercer also notes that union members’ political mobilization efforts have been vital in establishing employment rights—such as family and medical leave, wage and hour laws and workplace health and safety rules—that benefit all workers.
The UL&STD’s website offers a downloadable Union Label Week action kit that includes a list of suggested activities, a sample resolution pro-worker lawmakers can introduce at local levels, camera-ready art for local and union publications, fliers and other promotional material and scripts for public service announcements on local radio stations.
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