On Labor Day, we recognize the contributions of the labor union movement, which is responsible for things such as the 40-hour workweek, the minimum wage and the end of child labor. It is also a time for Americans to gather with family and friends, celebrate their hard work and get some well-deserved rest.
The past two years have been particularly difficult for Americans, as President Donald Trump and his administration have waged a war on workers. Workplaces have grown more dangerous, prices have increased, retirement security has come under attack, and civil and labor rights have been eroded.
Moreover, Trump’s economic policies have made it harder for families to afford rent or a mortgage, groceries, healthcare and childcare, let alone save for a rainy day. Workers are increasingly worried about finding or keeping a job, and layoffs have increased as job growth has slowed. In August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy lost jobs and inflation increased. After 18 months in office, the economy had created 10.2 million jobs under President Joe Biden, compared to just 590,000 in Trump’s second term. In the 18 months of the present administration, not a single month has achieved the Biden four-year average of 321,000 new jobs per month.
And women bore the brunt of the economic downturn, accounting for 100% of the decline in the labor force in July. And according to the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab, the president’s tariffs will cost the typical American household more than $1,000 per year.
Compounding all of this have been the disastrous impacts of Trump and congressional Republicans’ ��Big Ugly Bill.” In the past year alone, because of Republicans’ cuts, more than 8 million Americans have lost health care coverage and more than 4 million have lost food assistance. Republicans made these disastrous cuts to give tax breaks to the wealthy and large corporations.
Throughout my entire career, I have fought to protect workers’ rights from attacks such as these. When hardworking families are struggling to get ahead, it is more important than ever for workers to organize and exercise their right to form a union — the right that generations of Americans fought to secure through the labor movement.
But workers cannot fight this battle alone. Congressional Republicans must join us and stand up against Trump’s anti-worker agenda, and that starts with passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
The PRO Act is the most important step Congress can take to uplift American workers and strengthen workers’ right to form a union, protect themselves against threats to their livelihoods and hold law-breaking corporations accountable.
At a time when a missed paycheck or job loss could wreak havoc on a family’s financial well-being, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Republican inaction only benefits corporations that already hold too much power, while workers are left struggling to make ends meet.
As Trump continues to wage his reckless war on workers, Americans are paying the price. This Labor Day, workers deserve more than empty promises and a post on Truth Social. Workers deserve leaders who will defend their rights to organize and negotiate for higher pay, better benefits and safer workplaces. This starts with passing the PRO Act.
U.S. Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott has represented Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District since 1993. He has served as the top Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce since 2015. Prior to his service in Congress, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1978 to 1983 and in the Virginia Senate from 1983 to 1993. (This guest column was submitted ahead of the Sept. 4 employment situation release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
