We Are Strongest When We Look Out for Each Other
Our labor movement shows up everywhere — from jobsites to the ballot box, the halls of government, and our communities. One truth ties it all together: We are strongest when we look out for one another. Sometimes that means pulling a coworker out of harm’s way. Sometimes it means fighting for laws that protect future generations. Sometimes it means just checking in on a brother or sister to make sure they’re OK.
Suicide Prevention: A Crisis in Construction
September 7 through 13 was Suicide Prevention Week, and our council joined the call for attention to this matter. Trustee Dan Torres visited the MWH/Webcor Biosolids project to talk with all crafts about mental health and supporting one another.
This crisis is nothing to scoff at. Construction workers die by suicide at a rate four times higher than the national average. These aren’t statistics — they’re human beings. They’re our colleagues, friends, and family.
When we lose someone, the pain lingers across crews and communities. That’s why labor can’t just fight for wages and benefits. We must also fight for dignity, health, and life itself.
Resources exist at constructionsuicideprevention.com and preventconstructionsuicide.com. But nothing replaces solidarity. The most powerful tool is simply asking, “How are you?” and listening. Checking in could save a life.
If you need help, dial or text 988.
Public Service Awards: Recognizing Allies
This year’s Public Service Awards, this council’s annual event, reminded us what solidarity looks like. We honored California Attorney General Rob Bonta for holding scofflaws and exploitive actors accountable, SF Supervisor Connie Chan for championing working families in the City, and the SF Public Utilities Commission for showing how public agencies can partner with labor and community to bring well-paying and long-lasting jobs to members of the trades.
Thanks to our sponsors and members, the event was a success — you can see photos on page 5. The larger lesson here is clear: We win when we recognize allies, build bridges, and keep the circle wide. In these divided times, unity itself is a powerful act.
Proposition 50: Protecting Fair Representation
Our unity will be tested again this November with Proposition 50, a.k.a. the Election Rigging Response Act. This measure strengthens California’s independent redistricting system and creates temporary emergency congressional maps if other states rig their lines to distort representation (see: Texas). These maps expire in 2030, when the redistricting commission resumes its regular work.
“Every time we choose solidarity, we write another chapter in the story of working people refusing to be invisible or divided.”
Why does this matter to labor? Because gerrymandering weakens democracy. When working people lose fair representation, we lose the power to protect wages, safety standards, housing, schools, and healthcare. Prop 50 both ensures that our votes count in California and balances the power grab that the Texas legislature has forced on the American public writ large.
Unions across the Golden State, as well as the California Federation of Labor, are part of the broad coalition backing Prop 50. We’ll win by doing what labor does best: talking with co-workers, family, and neighbors about why their vote matters.
When we vote yes on Prop 50, we’re not just fighting for fair maps. We’re defending the principle that working people deserve a seat at the table.
A Call to Care and to Act
Whether we’re talking about suicide prevention, honoring allies, or defending democracy, the common thread is solidarity.
Solidarity means putting an arm around a brother, sister, or sibling who’s struggling. It means celebrating public servants who go to bat for us. It means doing the everyday work of democracy, even when we’re tired.
Our movement has always been about more than wages. It’s about life, dignity, and justice. Every time we choose solidarity, we write another chapter in the story of working people refusing to be invisible or divided.