Six American workers — across six trades, six unions, and six cities. These are the people who keep the country running every single day.
IBEW Local 103 • Electrician • Boston, MA
12 years on the job
"I take pride in lighting up the skyline I helped build from the ground up."
Sarah came up through the apprenticeship program in 2013 and now mentors three new journeymen. She helped wire the new Seaport district towers and runs a Saturday clinic teaching young women the trade.
USW Local 1219 • Steel Worker • Pittsburgh, PA
27 years on the job
"The union isn't just a contract; it's a family that looks out for your safety every single day."
A second-generation steelworker at the Edgar Thomson Works, Marco has been a safety steward since 2008. He helped negotiate the heat-stress protocol that's now industry standard across the Mon Valley.
AFT Local 2 • Public Educator • Brooklyn, NY
9 years on the job
"Teaching the next generation of workers is the highest honor I can imagine."
Elena teaches 8th-grade civics and runs the school's labor-history club. Her students built a public archive of the 1968 NYC teachers' strike that's now used citywide.
NYSNA • Registered Nurse • The Bronx, NY
6 years on the job
"Safe staffing ratios save lives. We didn't get them by asking — we got them by organizing."
Darnell walked the picket in the 2023 three-day strike that delivered enforceable ratios at his hospital. He chairs his unit's grievance committee and runs PTO at a community clinic.
ILWU Local 13 • Longshore Operator • San Pedro, CA
18 years on the job
"Every container that moves through this port moves because somebody fought for the right to a coffee break."
Ray operates a ship-to-shore crane at the Port of Los Angeles. He's a trustee of the local's pension fund and led the 2022 automation working group that protected 400 jobs.
UAW Local 600 • Auto Assembler • Dearborn, MI
14 years on the job
"The Stand-Up Strike showed every worker in this country what solidarity can win."
Tess works final assembly at the Rouge complex. She was a strike captain in the 2023 UAW action that ended two-tier wage structures and won record contracts.