In 1894, President Grover Cleveland made the first Monday of September an official national holiday, Labor Day.

Today, 125 years later, Labor Day is less about politics and policy and more about parades and picnics. But as we celebrate this long, well-deserved weekend with our families, friends, and loved ones, we owe it to the working people who came before us – and those who will come after us – to commemorate and celebrate the struggles undertaken by everyday working people to build a better future for all of us. Solidarity forever, sisters and brothers. Thank you for your work, and enjoy your Labor Day!

Mt. Clemens, MI (Aug. 29, 2019) – A group of 320 clerical associates, couriers, critical care techs, dispatchers, lab assistants, patient access reps, patient sitters, pharmacy techs and several other classifications at McLaren Macomb hospital voted last night 172 to 113 to form a union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 40. There were 35 additional ballots that remained unopened and were not determinative in the election outcome.

The vote proceeded despite McLaren’s efforts to defy the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 7’s recently issued Decision and Direction of Election by attempting to stop the election from proceeding and challenging nearly 100 voters, which would have resulted in a delay of election results. The NLRB, however, ordered the ballots to be opened and included in the total vote count.

This #WomensEqualityDay, OPEIU celebrates the progress women have made — and the long road to equality still ahead. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act would be a good start.

https://fortune.com/2019/08/26/womens-equality-day-paycheck-fairness-act/

Nurses — who typically work long hours and may face abuse on the job — are more likely to take their own lives, a new study found.

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego recently conducted what they said is the first nationwide investigation into nurse suicides in more than 20 years. They found that both male and female nurses had higher rates of suicide than men and women in the US.

Kaiser Permanente workers from California to Maryland are fighting the healthcare giant’s proposal to implement a two-tiered wage system, which pits longtime employees and recent hires against each other, and lowers standards for everyone.

Today, August 17, is National Nonprofit Day! Nonprofit employees, like those with Nonprofit Employees United, are on the front lines of bettering our communities each and every day. As advocates, those who make nonprofits work deserve a nonprofit that works for them, too. Learn more about the benefit of building a union at your workplace by visiting nonprofitemployees.org.