Over the past couple of weeks we’ve seen two political parties present contrasting views of America. It broke down to hope versus fear, moving forward versus going backwards. It got me to thinking about where we, as members of the labor community, stand.

To us, the American dream is a promise that belongs to everyone–not just people who look a certain way or believe the exact things that we do. It is the hope for a better future that anyone can not only dream of, but ACHIEVE.

Unions have been a huge part of that Dream because we are all about opening the doors of opportunity for everyone–not slamming them shut once we’re safely inside. We want to raise standards for everyone, not just ourselves. Prosperity works best when it’s shared across the economic spectrum, not locked away in someone’s Swiss bank account.

We reject the growing concept in some quarters that the American Dream is just for a ‘deserving’ few, and that only those positioned by birth, money, or power should have access to it. And that’s a big reason why well-monied corporate interests want to destroy us. They believe that by destroying unions the middle-class will cease to dream. Attack us and we’ll be too busy licking our wounds to stand up for America. What they fail to understand is that you can’t destroy the spirit of a movement built upon fighting not just for themselves, but for everyone.

It’s hard, time-consuming work. But we’re not out-sourcing it to someone else; we’re taking it on. No matter which way the political winds will blow, we Teamsters, along with all of organized Labor, will continue to fight for the American Dream.