This issue of the Label Letter centers on the lives, work, and communities that define the labor movement. We remember Alex Pretti — a Veterans Administration intensive care nurse, AFGE member, and neighbor — who was killed while trying to help others during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. His life reflected the values union members carry beyond the workplace: service, solidarity, and a willingness to stand up for people in need.

Across this issue, we see the same spirit reflected in workplaces nationwide. From auto plants and refineries to hospitals, newsrooms, and retail stores, workers are organizing for safer conditions, fair pay, and a voice in decisions that affect their lives. These victories are not isolated; they point to a broader shift as working people seek stability, respect, and the ability to shape their futures together.

But union strength does not stop at the bargaining table. The articles in these pages show how collective action strengthens communities as well as workplaces. Efforts to restore workers’ rights in the federal workforce, campaigns to repeal right-to-work laws, and the fight against predatory practices like surveillance pricing all reflect a common truth: when workers stand together, they help build fairer economies and more stable communities.

Alex Pretti’s story reminds us that unionism is rooted in something deeper than contracts or wages. It is about people who carry their sense of responsibility into their neighborhoods, their civic life, and their daily interactions.

Unions create networks of engagement — members who serve on school boards, coach youth teams, volunteer, vote, and advocate for the common good.

Today’s organizing wave is fueled by real pressures: rising costs, unpredictable schedules, safety concerns, and the desire for dignity at work. Yet it is also driven by a growing recognition that collective action can strengthen entire regions. When workers gain a voice, standards rise, families gain stability, and communities benefit.

As Sen. Bernie Sanders observed in 2023, working people across every sector are organizing and taking action against widening inequality and corporate excess. That reality continues to shape the present moment. What is equally important, though less often said, is what grows alongside that organizing: stronger communities, deeper civic engagement, and a renewed belief that collective effort can improve the places where we live.

That legacy is reflected in the life of Alex Pretti and in the momentum building across the labor movement today.