“STRENGTH THROUGH SOLIDARITY”
IFPTE Wishes Our Union Family Across North America a Happy Labour Day
September 7, 2026
It is truly an honor for the two of us to have the opportunity to serve the 90,000 represented members of our great Federation. This is particularly true as we celebrate and recognize Labour Day this year.
While there is little doubt that 2026 has been perhaps the most challenging year that IFPTE, our labour movement and all of us as workers have faced in modern times, it is also true that our resolve and our Solidarity together as IFPTE members have been as rock-solid as ever. Indeed, we have stood strong together as a Federation to defend IFPTE members throughout North America from the unprecedented attacks we are facing.
On this Labour Day, we must not forget that it was just last year - on the Friday before Labour Day, of all days - that President Trump signed a second executive order aimed at illegally eliminating the collective bargaining rights of over 300,000 workers, including IFPTE-represented workers employed by NASA. That Executive Order was on top of a previous one signed in March 2025 that sought to eliminate collective bargaining for over 1 million federal workers, including tens of thousands of IFPTE members employed at the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
IFPTE is, of course, challenging these illegal orders in federal court, but our challenges have not prevented agencies from also eliminating union-dues deduction. Clearly, the intent of these orders is to starve unions from the very resources we need to properly represent our members.
IFPTE did not cower, however, nor did we throw our hands in the air and simply hope for the best. Instead, Locals from all-across IFPTE sectors stepped up to support the targeted federal locals by contributing to an IFPTE E-Dues system that allowed these Locals to continue to collect dues from members and, simply put, to survive. In fact, these locals are not just surviving - they are proactively fighting to have their rights restored.
At the same time, we must also recognize that these attacks are not just targeted at IFPTE’s federal sector. Sadly, they are also targeted toward our IFPTE Canadian brothers, sisters and siblings.
Whether it is the reckless tariff policy, or the continued rhetoric challenging Canadian Sovereignty, IFPTE wasted no time in condemning the targeting of Canadian working families. Moreover, not only has IFPTE consistently spoken out against these attacks, we continue to advocate for concrete action by the United States Congress to use their power of the purse to block the punitive Trump tariffs.
Canada, of course, is not only America’s number one ally, but also the number one trading partner of the United States, and these reckless policies are hurting working families on both sides of the border. Our Union will not stop fighting until this critical and enduring partnership is restored.
Labour Day is about celebrating and appreciating work. As workers, we hold this near and dear, while also knowing that Labour Day would not be possible without worker Solidarity.
Make no mistake, as a Union, we will always have to fight.
For example, SPEEA/Local 2001 members are currently demanding that Boeing agree to a contract that is worthy of their labor. And, just as IFPTE’s strong public sector Locals in New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Rhode Island, Ontario and Winnipeg will demand that governments provide adequate services to the public, ESC/Local 20, SUP/Local 160, WAPSO/Local 162 and NPEU/Local 70 also continue to grow and build their strength as unions by organizing the unorganized - all while providing exemplary representation to members.
We are proud that the IFPTE family understands that our strength comes from our Solidarity. In fact, we are so honored by this Solidarity that the theme for our international convention next July in Toronto is, “Strength Through Solidarity.”
As we celebrate Labour Day this year, honor working families everywhere, and remember that ‘all work has dignity’, let’s also take pride that the IFPTE family is only getting stronger every day, and with every fight.
Happy Labour Day!
In Solidarity,
Matthew S. Biggs Gay Henson
President Secretary-Treasurer