The Power and Pride of Workers

Some thoughts on their contributions this Labor Day weekend.

One of the greatest benefits of my job is the opportunity to meet factory workers from all over America. Over the past several decades, I’ve visited plant gates, shop floors, and union halls from coast to coast. And while we are a deeply divided nation in so many ways, the unity of purpose I see within manufacturing really stands out. But too many elites don’t see it that way.

There are nearly 13 million men and women in this country who make useful things for a living. Most economists and pundits view these brothers and sisters as relics of the past. It’s worth noting, however, that most economists and pundits haven’t had a deep conversation with a blue-collar worker. If they had, they wouldn’t view factory workers with such prejudice and stereotyping: Uneducated, backed into a job they really didn’t want and now stuck, too Trumpy, or too beholden to Democratic politicians — take your pick!

I visited my first plant gate to meet workers way back in 1988. And I can tell you how to correctly describe folks who work in factories: Problem solvers. Practical learners and teachers. Hard workers. Devoted to family and the community. Patriotic.

All of that, despite the unfair judgment they receive from far too many cynics.

So let me say thank you to our makers out there on this Labor Day weekend. Thank you for showing up, day after day, in the mills, plants, and foundries. Thank you for your skill, your sacrifice, and your strength. You’ve weathered economic storms, global competition, technological change, and political neglect — and you’re still standing.

You build things and shape steel, and you also shape communities, families, and futures. You’re the backbone of this country, and you inspire me with your hard work and your grit.

On top of that, you help to power our economic engine and secure our nation.  

When we make things here, we don’t just create jobs — we create independence. We reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains. We ensure that our bridges, our tanks, our ships, and our infrastructure are built with American strength.

Manufacturing is not a relic, it’s a strategic asset. And every time we invest in it, we invest in our sovereignty.

We saw during the pandemic what happens when we outsource too much. Shortages, delays, and vulnerabilities. It follows that reshoring jobs, rebuilding supply chains, and revitalizing American industry isn’t just smart, it’s essential.

That’s why we must double down on Buy America. Not just as a slogan — as a policy. Every taxpayer dollar spent on infrastructure, defense, and public works should go to American workers first. That’s a priority we pioneered at the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), and I’m proud to say we are seeing progress after many years of spadework.

Why are policies like Buy America, sensible tariffs, rebuilding our skills and training programs, and investments in strategic industries so important? Because we’re in global competition. Too many of our trade partners don’t play by the rules, and for too many years Washington aided and abetted them. These competitors subsidize their industries, exploit their workers, and flood our markets with cheap goods. We cannot — and will not — let them undercut our workers and hollow out our industrial base more than they have already.

Standing up for American workers means investing in our own capacity, enforcing our trade laws, and never apologizing for putting American jobs first. From this point forward, we rebuild.

On the factory floor, workers know the impact of these policy choices and the value of their labor. These makers know what it means to earn a living, to take pride in a job well done, and to pass down skills from one generation to the next. They just wish that their national leaders see things the way they do.

What do factory workers want? Opportunity, not handouts. Respect, not pity. Action, not platitudes.

We’ll keep working to build a future worthy of your labor. Because for all of us at AAM, every day is a day to honor workers.