On this Labor Day, working families will be feeling squeezed. On Wall Street and in corporate board rooms, profits and CEO pay are back to “normal”–but for the rest of us, recovery has been much harder to come by.

It’s in times like these that we must remember just how important the labor movement is to protecting the middle class and workers. Thanks to unions, we have weekends, an 8-hour workday, and our children go to school instead of to factory jobs.

I’m running for reelection because, as the only card-carrying union member on the City Council, my record shows a consistent and strong commitment to the issues that matter for working families in Seattle:

• I was among the first to stand up to the mayor when he began stalling on the Viaduct replacement–it is the most important public project in Seattle and will put our workers back on the job.

• I co-sponsored the sick leave bill which will give a huge number of Seattle’s working women and men the right to be home with a sick child or parent: that bill comes up for a vote on September 12th.

• When labor groups come to City Hall for their contract renewals, I understand what it takes for a working family to live in Seattle and I fight for fair wages and benefits.

Because of my record, I have been endorsed by 20 Seattle labor unions — that’s more endorsements than any other candidate for city council, incumbent or challenger.

This Labor Day, I hope you will join me in reaffirming your commitment to fighting for a Seattle full of living wage jobs that support our families. And, take a moment to enjoy that weekend–brought to you (and protected!) by the labor movement.