When We Stand Together...

Statement

Friends,

Today is Labor Day, a time to celebrate the contributions of working men and women across the country.

Many of you will have a day off to spend some time with the family. Some of you are probably getting ready to come home from a long weekend away, and a good number of you may actually be working today. If you are, hopefully it's a quiet day on the job.

Let's face it: Upstate New York is only as strong as its workforce. It's why I support an increase in the minimum wage and taking steps to close the wage gap between men and women. It's also why I support the programs like Social Security and Medicare that help workers retire with dignity, because the bottom line is that when we stand with working families, everyone wins.

But I'm also mindful today of those individuals still looking for work and the high unemployment facing many New York counties.

We can do more to create jobs and entice new business to the region, and thankfully New York has plenty going for it:

Great colleges and universities to train a skilled workforce.
Strong economic engines like Fort Drum to put people to work.
Natural treasures to support everything from tourism to forest-products.
I know our region has big things ahead if we can stand together and make it happen. That's why I'm in this, and I appreciate you standing with me.

Happy Labor Day, everyone. See you out there.

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