I want to believe it’s over. We all do and yet we need to be smart. Use good judgment and don’t just throw caution to the wind. School is out and summer's on. We really do need it badly. Be safe and take the time to enjoy the little things that life has to offer, all the things that we all took for granted and lost during the darkest days of the pandemic, which includes friends and loved ones. People are hurting and some are damaged. We need to learn from what happened here and never let it happen again. We must also acknowledge the health care workers that took the brunt of it, along with all of the essential workers who put it all on the line and, by the way, were primarily union members who took care of business. God bless the Labor Movement and the union members who saved this city. God bless them all.
Look, Tuesday is Primary Day and New Yorkers will likely pick our next Mayor. So many candidates, newly instituted ranked-choice voting (RCV), and daunting challenges ahead for the next mayor. I urge you to choose wisely and remind you that every vote counts. Your economic security is in play and there should be nothing more important to you and your family than that.
Finally, Local 3 celebrates the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday. I urge all of our members to take the opportunity to understand why this is so important and how much this means to our African American brothers and sisters in Local 3 and across our country. Progress usually comes at a snail's pace — too slow for most — but once in a while it smacks you in the face, and you know what, it feels pretty good. Acknowledging the stain on America that slavery brought, it’s taken a long time to properly celebrate its end. It is something that most white Americans can’t fully understand or come to grips with. I hope this is a fresh start to heal the divide that has hurt America and its citizens for way too long. We can fix this.
