In Advance of Labor Day, Civil and Human Rights Coalition Optimistic for the Ascendant American Worker

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in advance of Labor Day:

“This Labor Day bears witness to an American worker on the rise. After a years-long unraveling of basic workforce protections, an expanding economy with contracting or stagnant wages, and a continuous widening of the wealth gap, the last 12 months have shown glimmers of hope for our nation.

Minimum wage increases have gone into effect in states across the country; cities are instituting living wage laws that will help families thrive in our economy; major retailers are beginning to raise wages and creating more fair work scheduling policies; states and corporations have ‘banned the box’ and allowed all applicants a fair chance to work; and updated federal regulations and NLRB rulings have created pathways toward a more dignified workplace for millions of Americans. 

But there is still so much work to be done in the year ahead.  The right to organize is still under attack in the states and at the Supreme Court; the President has not yet decided whether to issue a ‘ban the box’ executive order despite nationwide calls for action; and we have not yet passed laws to guarantee paycheck fairness for women, raise the federal minimum wage, outlaw employment discrimination for the LGBT community, or create a humane fix to our immigration crisis.

This Labor Day is a chance to reflect on the successes of the past year and the challenges ahead for the American worker. And while we certainly have much ground to make up and many fights ahead of us, we have many reasons to be optimistic that the future is bright for working Americans.” 

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.