On this day 160 years ago, the Union Army announced to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, that they were free — more than two years after President Lincoln delivered his Emancipation Proclamation. Observed as a federal holiday since 2021, Juneteenth commemorates, celebrates and honors Black culture and history.

The annual celebration holds tremendous meaning to Black workers, as it should to all working people who enjoy and defend the freedom to live our own lives, speak with our own voices and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

This Juneteenth, we're reminded of how much further we, as a labor movement and as a nation, still have to go to fulfill the promise of liberty and justice for all. Our union will continue to work toward building a future that fulfills that promise.