Statement from Ohio AFL-CIO This Juneteenth

As communities around the country celebrate and reflect on the freedom of formerly enslaved Black people, the Ohio AFL-CIO reaffirms our commitment to racial justice and equity in the labor movement and we recommit ourselves to rooting out the scourge of systemic racism against our Black brothers, sisters and siblings in the workplace and in all corners of American life.

Black workers are part of the DNA of America’s labor movement. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that the Civil Rights Movement and the labor movement are intertwined, and collective bargaining remains one of the most powerful tools to ensure racial equity and fairness on the job. A union contract can help ensure workplaces are diverse and accessible by having equity in hiring practices, pay and advancement opportunities; and that all workers can gain the skills needed for the jobs of today and of tomorrow. We won’t stop fighting until every worker in this country can access the right to collectively bargain for a better life.

We wish a joyful Juneteenth to all who are celebrating today, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the fight for a more perfect union.