Sept. 11, 2011: A Day to Commit to Activism
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Today, all of us will remember the horror and anguish we experienced 10 years ago. Whether we lost loved ones ourselves—family members, union brothers and sisters—or felt the shock of a society that lost nearly 3,000 people and was forever changed, we need no reminding.
Instead, today, I would like to reflect on doors that were opened on Sept. 11, 2001, and what has come of them in the 10 years since.
Working men and women rushed through doors to danger and became America’s everyday heroes. Firefighters, construction workers, nurses and EMTs—all kinds of professionals and volunteers—were there not just on the fateful day but some for weeks and months and even years after. And we swore we would never forget.
Doors opened within us to each other. We came together. We flew the flag. We comforted one another. In our grief, we found the best in ourselves.
Who Do You Love? Join Our ‘I Heart a Worker’ Labor Day Action
Starting today you can show a little love for the American worker who, between the economy, jobs crisis and attacks on workers’ rights, has had a real rough year.
So this Labor Day, we’re urging everyone to HEART a Worker via Facebook and Twitter and let the public know how important hardworking women and men are in our daily lives. Starting today on our Labor Day splash page at www.aflcio.org/iheart, you can share a message that answers the question: Who do you HEART this Labor Day?
We’ll offer suggestions such as I HEART Cooks, I HEART Firefighters or, if you’re in the north country, I HEART Snowplow Drivers. You also can customize the type of worker you HEART. After you select the worker you HEART, you can share the message on Facebook and via Twitter with one or two quick clicks.
Workers Remember 9/11 Victims, First Responders
Read the AFL-CIO Executive Council statement honoring America’s 911 Heroes here.
Working people across the country today are participating in community service and remembrance events to honor those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the first responders who worked tirelessly to rescue the survivors.
These events, which cap a “summer of service” called for by President Obama, come just two days before the AFL-CIO begins its 26th constitutional convention in Pittsburgh, just 80 miles from Shanksville, where United Airlines flight 93 went down eight years ago.
From Anchorage, Alaska, to Peoria, Ill., to Nashville, Tenn., working people are organizing food drives, blood drives and other service events. AFL-CIO central labor councils have conducted more than 300 community-based service projects across the country throughout the summer. Local labor groups from across the country also have conducted activities to help the growing number of unemployed Americans in San Francisco, Dallas and dozens of other communities.
