LABOR DAY: THE UNION FAMILY

A Message from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa

The first national Labor Day was celebrated six days after workers were killed in the Pullman strike of 1894. This Labor Day, we must remember those who were senselessly killed at Hartford Distributors in Connecticut.

On the morning of Aug. 3, 2010, eight innocent people were gunned down in the warehouse of a beer distributorship. Seven of those killed were Teamsters, members of Local 1035 in South Windsor, Conn., and almost all of them were nearing retirement after a lifetime of hard work.

The men who lost their lives at Hartford Distributors had worked there for a combined 125 years: Francis J. Fazio Sr., Craig Pepin, William Ackerman, Bryan Cirigliano, Louis Felder, Victor James, Edwin Kennison Jr. and Douglas Scruton. Theirs are names you probably didn’t know before the tragedy, but they were pillars of their communities.

Brothers and Sisters

Each of these men worked for decades to provide for their families, to make Hartford Distributors a better place and to uphold their community values and institutions. Each of them also deserved a better end. .

The resolve and camaraderie of Local 1035 and the Hartford Distributors workers has been truly inspiring, not just for the 1.4 million members of the Teamsters Union, but for the entire nation. It reminded me, as it should you, that the Teamsters Union is a family. We call each other “brother” and “sister” for a reason.

I’m proud to say that our family has come together for our fallen brothers. Approximately $185,000 poured in from all areas of the country for the Teamsters Local 1035 Hartford Distributors Memorial Fund.

Hard Work and Sacrifice

Labor Day is traditionally the start of the election season, and this Labor Day is no exception. I ask our elected officials – and those who wish to be elected – to remember that we celebrate Labor Day to honor the contributions that working men and women make to the strength and prosperity of America. Unions will never be able to outspend powerful multinationals, but we can deliver votes to lawmakers who will work hard for working Americans.

This Labor Day, I hope all Americans remember that the hard work and sacrifice of working men and women—like our eight slain Teamster brothers—is what makes this country great. And I hope all working men and women remember how much more we can achieve if we speak with one great and powerful voice.