September 4, 2021
Dear Friends,
On Monday, we recognize and celebrate the American labor movement and the millions of hard-working men and women that make up the most powerful economic force the world has ever known—the American middle-class.
Labor Day allows us time to reflect on the remarkable, ongoing legacy of the Americans who fought for worker’s rights. Many of these heroes called our Capital Region home. One such legend is Kate Mullany. In this newsletter, I hope to spotlight just a few of her many incredible accomplishments as a pioneer in the labor movement:
- Born in England, Kate immigrated to the United States at an early age before settling in Troy, New York with her family. Following the death of her father, Kate stepped up as the breadwinner, gaining employment at one of the 14 commercial laundries in Troy.
- In February 1864, Kate formed and spearheaded the Collar Laundry Union of Troy, the first all-female union in the United States. She organized 300 women on strike that resulted in a 25-percent wage increase and she continued to lead successful strikes to secure higher wages and better working conditions for workers.
- The Collar Laundry Union lasted more than twice as long as any other women’s union at the time, dissolving in 1870. But that did not stop Kate from continuing to fight for worker’s rights efforts. For her steadfast leadership and tenacity, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York, in 2000.
Kate Mullany serves as an enduring champion in the struggle for economic and social justice. We are all the beneficiaries of her bravery and advocacy, which is why I introduced legislation this year commemorating her inspiring life.
We owe it to her and ourselves to do more than just honor her legacy. We must take up her cause and continue her fight for workers across the nation.
For my part, I am working in Congress to carry forward her effort with bold new legislation including President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda, that invests in hardworking families, creates good-paying jobs and strengthens our economy. I also voted in the House to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, known more commonly as the PRO Act, which would expand various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace.
Specifically, the PRO Act:
- Introduces meaningful, enforceable penalties for companies and executives that violate workers’ rights
- Restores workers’ ability to stand together by weakening anti-labor “right to work” laws, and closes loopholes that corporations use to exploit workers
- Strengthens workers’ right to free and fair union elections and requires corporations to respect the results
Labor unions and their organizers have been the driving force of change for better wages and working conditions. We owe a great debt to these champions of workers’ rights.
As we spend time with friends and family this Labor Day weekend, I hope you join me in honoring these men and women and their united vision to create a better, fairer tomorrow.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
With the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, my office continues to seek guidance from the U.S. Department of State on how we can be of direct assistance to our constituents and those in Afghanistan with connections to NY-20. With that in mind, here are some of the most recent resources and updates we would like to share:
- For U.S. citizens seeking assistance to depart Afghanistan, or for Afghan nationals who need information about the Special Immigrant Visa program or priority referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, visit the Department of State’s Afghanistan Inquiries webpage.
- The Department of Homeland Security has published information about its efforts to resettle Afghan nationals and consolidated links to recently released press releases and statements, and other resources from the Department of Defense.
- To learn more about Afghan resettlement efforts, visit dhs.gov/allieswelcome.
- Updated information for Afghan arrivals into the U.S. will be shared at uscis.gov.
- Additional resources are available from:
