Here in Central New York, our communities were built by the contributions of hardworking families. On Labor Day, we celebrate Central New York’s diverse workforce and its tireless efforts to move our region’s economy forward. From the service sector to emergency services, we depend on workers every day.

First celebrated in 1882, Labor Day is a time to honor the hard work of Americans and the strides we’ve made in strengthening workers’ rights. In Central New York, people have dedicated their lives to fields such as education, healthcare, engineering, computer science and other skilled trades. The strength of our workforce has made this a good year for our economy. According to the state Department of Labor, unemployment has continued to decrease. Manufacturing, electrical equipment and appliance industries have experienced job gains this past year, and local food manufacturing for dairy, fruit and vegetable products is projected to grow by nearly 30 percent through 2022.

As our local economy grows and changes, I’m doing everything I can to ensure Central New Yorkers can adapt and possess the skills they need to land good jobs. This past year, I helped pass several measures to increase job opportunities, including legislation to help provide more training and workforce development programs A.8107. Additionally, I fought to ensure that workers receive a fair wage on publicly funded projects A.5498-A.

In order to help New York’s entrepreneurs, I authored legislation to reduce the cost of a food processing license fee for small-scale producers to help them get their businesses off the ground A.823-A. Currently, New York offers one level of license for all producers, regardless of size. This legislation creates two-tiered licensing fees to level the playing field for small-scale producers.

This Labor Day, join me in honoring Central New York’s workforce, which continues to move our community forward. I’ll continue doing my part to make sure our educators, manufacturers and all other employees across the state receive the support they need to get ahead. As always, I’m here to help. If you have any questions, please contact my office at StirpeA@nyassembly.gov or 315-452-1115.