Faith, Work and the Dignity of Working People: Understanding the AFL-CIO’s Labor Day Faith Program

Every Labor Day, we celebrate the working people whose skill, sacrifice and determination help move our communities and our country forward. It is also an opportunity to remember that many workplace protections we rely on today—including the eight-hour workday, overtime pay, pensions, Social Security, workers’ compensation and the right to organize—were secured through generations of struggle and solidarity.

The AFL-CIO’s Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar program brings organized labor and faith communities together around the values they share: dignity, fairness, equality, justice and respect for every working person.

What Is the Program?

Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar is a national AFL-CIO initiative organized through state federations, central labor councils and area labor federations.

Through the program, union leaders, workers and worker advocates are invited to speak before local faith congregations. Depending on the faith tradition, the presentation may take place:

• In the pulpit at a Christian congregation
• On the bimah at a Jewish congregation
• In the minbar at a Muslim congregation

Image Credit: AFL-CIO 

These brief presentations—generally no longer than five minutes—give working people an opportunity to share personal stories about faith, work, union membership and the continuing importance of worker justice.

The goal is not simply to deliver a Labor Day message. It is to build lasting relationships between labor organizations and the faith communities that serve union members and their families.

Shared Values Create Common Ground

The labor movement and faith communities have a long history of standing together in support of civil rights, economic justice, human dignity and fair treatment in the workplace.

Across different faith traditions, we continually encounter teachings centered on serving our neighbors, treating people fairly, paying workers justly and standing with those whose voices are not being heard. The labor movement advances many of these same principles by helping workers secure safe workplaces, family-sustaining wages, health benefits, retirement security and a meaningful voice on the job.

The program creates a welcoming setting for labor representatives to explain how collective action can improve the lives of working people—and how faith leaders and congregations can become trusted partners in supporting workers and their families.

According to the AFL-CIO, the initiative has helped foster closer cooperation between labor and religious communities in cities across the country. It also provides a foundation for continued collaboration on worker justice and community needs long after Labor Day has passed. Learn more from the AFL-CIO.

Why Personal Stories Matter

The most effective presentations are not filled with statistics or technical labor terminology. They are personal.

A union leader or member might speak about:

• How a union apprenticeship created access to a family-sustaining career
• How health and retirement benefits supported their family during a difficult time
• How collective bargaining helped workers address an unsafe condition
• How union members responded when their community needed assistance
• How mentorship and solidarity changed the direction of their life
• Why every worker deserves dignity, respect and a voice

These stories help congregants understand that the labor movement is ultimately about people—parents supporting their children, veterans transitioning into civilian careers, apprentices learning a trade and neighbors working together to strengthen their communities.

How Organizations Can Participate

The AFL-CIO encourages state federations, central labor councils, area labor federations, affiliated unions and participating faith leaders to work together to organize local events.

The recommended process includes:

1. Establishing a realistic participation goal.
2. Identifying congregations with connections to union members or worker-justice initiatives.
3. Recruiting union leaders, workers and worker advocates to speak.
4. Matching speakers with congregations based on faith tradition, language and location.
5. Preparing speakers to deliver a brief, personal and respectful message.
6. Promoting the event through newsletters, websites, local media and social platforms.
7. Following up with speakers and faith leaders to strengthen the relationship.

The AFL-CIO provides an organizing guide, sample presentations, invitation letters and faith-specific resources to help communities participate.

For 2026, the primary program period is Labor Day weekend, September 4–7. Organizations may also participate during the weekend before, August 28–30, or the weekend after, September 11–13, when scheduling requires additional flexibility. View the AFL-CIO’s 2026 resources.

An Opportunity to Build Lasting Community Partnerships

For unions, this initiative offers an important opportunity to engage people beyond the union hall and jobsite. Faith institutions are trusted community anchors. They often support working families during financial hardship, illness, unemployment and other major life challenges.

For faith communities, the program provides a direct connection to the experiences of workers and the issues affecting their families.

The relationship can continue through worker-support campaigns, apprenticeship and career education, veteran services, community construction projects, food and resource drives, mental-health initiatives and other efforts that strengthen local communities.

At the ULA Network, our mission is to Support • Educate • Promote union labor and our communities. Programs like Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar demonstrate what becomes possible when trusted organizations come together around shared values and a commitment to helping working people.

This Labor Day, we encourage union leaders, members and faith communities to learn more about the program, share their stories and explore opportunities to work together—not only during one holiday weekend, but throughout the year.

For program resources and participation information, visit the AFL-CIO’s official Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar page.

The ULA Network is sharing this information for educational and community-outreach purposes. Program participation and official guidance are coordinated through the AFL-CIO and its federated labor bodies.

About the Union Labor Advisory Network (ULAnetwork)

The Union Labor Advisory Network (ULAnetwork) is a mission-driven media and workforce development platform dedicated to supporting, educating, and promoting union labor and the communities it serves. Through strategic storytelling, charitable initiatives, apprenticeship awareness, veterans programming, and cross-sector partnerships, ULAnetwork advances high-road economic development models rooted in strong union careers. http://www.ulanetwork.com  Subscribe to the ULA Network for more interviews, insights, and inspiration about union labor, skilled trades, and the opportunities waiting for you in the construction industry!

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