Labor day reminds us that many workplace protections were not simply given–they were won through collective action. Labor unions helped workers advocate for safer workplaces, fairer wages, reasonable hours, and greater economic security. Cooperatives carry that same spirit forward by allowing workers, farmers, and communities to share ownership, make decisions collectively, and ensure that the benefits of their labor remain within their communities.
Labor Day remains deeply relevant. The federal minimum wage has been frozen at $7.25 per hour since 2009. A full-time worker earning that wage makes approximately $15,080 annually before taxes. Members of Congress earn $174,000 annually—more than eleven times that amount. The deeper injustice is that Congress has the authority to raise the wage floor but has repeatedly failed to do so, even as the cost of food, housing, health care, and other necessities continues to rise.
Agricultural Missions, Inc. stands with rural workers, farmers, cooperatives, labor organizations, and community leaders working toward racial and economic justice. Across the United States, AMI helps strengthen relationships among rural communities, supports cooperative development, amplifies the voices of farmers and workers, and builds partnerships that advance food sovereignty and shared economic power.
This Labor Day, we honor the workers who came before us. We recommit ourselves to building an economy in which every worker is respected, every voice matters, and every community has the power to thrive.
