Democrats have long stood by laborers. My father was among them | Opinion

When I was 14, my dad — a union machinist for Bowen Tools — was severely injured while on the job and ended up losing his right arm just below the elbow. He was the sole breadwinner of our home and this accident affected every aspect of our lives. But because he was a union member, our family had the support and resources we needed to survive.

After an investigation, my dad received a settlement that covered his medical bills and allowed us to buy a small home. Due to his union contract, he was retrained and was able to get a different job at the company. Thanks to his unionized job, he promptly went back to work and our family got a sense of stability once again. It is not an exaggeration to say him being a union member gave my family a chance for a better life.

Union help

When I was growing up, my father took me along to his union meetings. It taught me the importance of fighting for workers’ rights. During this time, he instilled in me this belief in a worker’s right to join unions and that the Democratic Party was the party of labor. From day one, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been true partners in leading the most pro-labor administration in history.

President Biden and our new Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Harris, have walked the picket line, invested in good-paying union jobs, brought manufacturing back to America, saved the pensions of more than 1 million union workers and retirees, lowered prescription drug costs, and raised wages.

They recognize that the story of America is the story of unions and have worked tirelessly to give families like mine — working families — a shot at the American Dream. This is a stark contrast with Donald Trump and JD Vance, the most anti-union, anti-worker ticket in American history.

Trump is a scab and has a record of breaking his promises to workers. President Biden and Vice President Harris understand what everyday Americans are up against, which is why they stand with union workers and are focused on building an economy by making it easier for workers to organize and join a union — building the middle class by investing in good union jobs.

Donald Trump cares only about himself and is wildly out of touch with working-class Americans. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda slashes Social Security and Medicare and jeopardizes overtime pay for workers, all to cut taxes for the super rich. It threatens the millions of jobs that were created during the Biden-Harris administration. We will not go back.

Harris committed to workers

Vice President Kamala Harris and vice presidential nominee and former union member Gov. Tim Walz are committed to working people and will keep the fight up for the future of workers and unions while celebrating American workers, unions, and labor leaders.

On this Labor Day, join me and union members across America as we commit to voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be our next president and vice president of the United States of America.

Artie Blanco is a Democratic National Committee member representing Nevada since 2013. Born and raised in Texas, she has dedicated her career to electing pro-worker Democrats from Texas to Colorado to Nevada. X: @ArtieBlancoSays