In the American Rights at Work Education Fund's fifth annual Labor Day List, we recognize successful partnerships between employers and their employees’ labor unions that are working well in an uncertain global economy.

Employers showcased in this year's report walk the walk when it comes to respecting their own workers’ rights, and now they are going a step further by standing up on behalf of all U.S. workers. Every business profiled in this year's report has spoken out on the need for meaningful labor law reform. By supporting the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation making it easier for workers to choose to form a union, a new generation of visionary employers is laying the foundation for the financial well-being of workers and businesses alike.

» View the 2009 Labor Day List.
» Download a PDF of the report.

The 2008 Labor Day List highlights a geographically diverse group of employers who show that good labor relations are possible in every sector of the economy. Wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa Technology Corporation, the Washington National Opera, and Alabama Power, a utility serving millions of residents in the South, are just a few of the employers that prove that strong labor-management partnerships are the key to future success.  By working with their employees and the unions that represent them, Labor Day List employers have well-trained, efficient workforces and are invested in a socially-responsible approach to business that will carry them far in the future.  

» Check out the 2008 list.

The 2007 Labor Day List features partnerships between successful employers and their employees’ unions that both meet the needs and rights of workers and fulfill business objectives. The practices of the employers we profile buck the current “race to the bottom” trend and eschew hostile labor-management relations. These innovative employers demonstrate there are alternative models which fulfill the needs of their shareholders, employees, and valued customers.

» Check out the 2007 list.

The 2006 Labor Day List: Partnerships that Work profiles successful partnerships among employers and unions. For a number of these employers, respecting workers’ rights comes straight from the top, where forward-thinking business leaders see unions as an asset to achieving their goals. Other employers, like New Orleans-based contractor Boh Bros. Construction Company, show the potential labor-management partnerships have to make a difference in communities. The 2006 Labor Day List also features the AFL-CIO’s Gulf Coast Revitalization Program, highlighting the way workers and their unions rebuild the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

» Check out the 2006 list.

In our first Labor Day List, American Rights at Work celebrates partnerships between employers and their employees’ unions that both meet the needs of workers and fulfill business objectives in the global economy.  The featured companies and their unions work together to improve workers' standard of living and working conditions while reaping the benefits in reduced staff turnover, higher productivity, and better service.  Among others, the Labor Day List profiles Costco Wholesale Corporation, which demonstrates that treating employees well is good for business, and Harley-Davidson Motor Company, whose partnership with its employees’ unions boosts productivity and quality, and keeps jobs in America.

» Check out the 2005 list.