WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 2, 2019 – Today, North America’s Building Trades Unions’ President Sean McGarvey, issued the following statement honoring the 2019 Labor Day holiday in the United States and Canada:

“This Labor Day, North America’s Building Trades Unions proudly celebrate and salute America’s workers, especially the millions of men and women in our ranks and industry whose unrivaled skills, first-rate standards, and commitment to the future of our construction industry have paved the way for generations to realize the American Dream.

“The unionized trades have always supported fair wages and benefits, where men and women all benefit collectively. There is no glass ceiling in the building trades. We prioritize inclusion, safety and the fair treatment of each and every member.  We prioritize training and safety. NABTU and its signatory contractors invest more than $1.6 billion annually to fund and operate over 1,900 joint labor-management training centers across North America which, in turn, produce the safest, most highly-skilled, and productive craft workers found anywhere in the world.

“Throughout history and today, our values have made our impact and strength significant, and our progress continues. This summer, when a politically and ideologically motivated few declared a quiet war on the future of U.S. construction labor, we responded loudly and made our many voices clear. We will always be a voice for America’s workforce, on behalf of the worker’s sacrifices before us and those after us. This Labor Day and every day, we honor these millions of great Americans and Canadians who remain enraged and engaged to protect our future – our workforce, the unionized sector and all of construction worldwide.”

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