(BLET Editor’s Note: National President Ed Rodzwicz issued the following statement in recognition of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.)
CLEVELAND, May 23 — The history of Memorial Day has its roots in the late 1860s, when families decorated the graves of soldiers who were killed in the Civil War. Today, Americans still use the holiday to honor our veterans who fought and died to keep America free.
Former President Bill Clinton eloquently described the importance of the Memorial Day holiday when he wrote the following: “As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to pause and consider the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values. While we should honor these heroes every day for the profound contribution they have made in securing our Nation””s freedom, we should honor them especially on Memorial Day.”
The holiday is as important now as it was 148 years ago, especially as our troops are embroiled in bitter struggles in the Middle East. Today’s military can be described as a labor of love for our country. Our military is completely comprised of volunteer soldiers, and they wouldn’t be fighting for our country if they didn’t believe in America and its values.
As an American and as a veteran, I pray that our soldiers will be brought home as quickly and as honorably as possible. And as a labor leader, I will work to make sure they have good union jobs waiting for them when they come home.
Railroads have recently received many accolades for being military-friendly employers. I believe part of the credit is due in part to our Rail Labor unions, who have fought to protect the jobs of our members. I also know that our Brothers and Sisters in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure Teamsters returning from military service have jobs waiting for them, or provide training to help them get new jobs.
In the spirit of Memorial Day, I ask all BLET members to join me in thanking our veterans and our current troops for their sacrifices to America in defending our national and our values.