CLEVELAND, January 20 — Today, we mark the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King has a vast legacy of social change and on this day we choose to honor him for his extraordinary life. We must also strive on this day to further the work that he left undone when his life was cut tragically short.
The American labor movement enjoys a close relationship to the ideals of Dr. King. We, in the labor movement, work for social justice and equality for all, just as Dr. King did. All people deserve respect, all people deserve a voice and all people deserve justice. These were the things that King believed in and they are things that we believe in.
Each day we must work to ensure that all people are given equality, dignity and respect — not just on days like this one. There are still too many people denied these basic human rights. Sadly, people who believe in these basic rights continue to face obstacles to achieving their goals. We must work to overcome these obstacles and must continue to strive for the equality of all. Dr. King’s dream must not die.