A neighbor of mine stops by the house each Labor Day weekend to share his annual end-of-summer to-do list. For my neighbor, Labor Day means packing up his daughter for college, putting away his treasured fishing gear and tuning up the snowblower.

Summer's over, he laments. The end is here and a long hibernation is about to begin.

Not so for most NYSUT members. I would imagine that Labor Day is energizing for many of our members. It's more than a day to sleep in before firing up the grill; it's certainly much more than just a date on the calendar to mark the end of summer as some seem to think.

For most NYSUT members — teachers, School-Related Professionals, college faculty, school nurses and other educators — the Labor Day holiday means we're back to the classroom and the campus, practicing the professions we love and making a difference in the lives of our students.

For members of our great union, as well as sisters and brothers throughout the labor movement, the holiday is an opportunity to take a collective bow and remember sacrifices made by those who went before us to gain benefits and protections that American workers have earned over the years; such as the 40-hour work week, health insurance, paid vacations, a dignified retirement and a safe workplace.

Indeed, the labor movement is why Americans enjoy a higher standard of living than workers in other nations — and, in fact, why workers in union states like New York do better than those in right-to-work states and in states that make it difficult to organize and collectively bargain.

Tough times

Of course, that reality makes it all the more difficult to understand why the labor movement has been faced with so many challenges in recent times. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported early this year that union membership fell by about 326,000 in 2006 — to 12 percent of the working population — continuing a steady decline since 1983, when more than 20 percent of American workers belonged to unions.

The numbers are significantly better for those in the public sector — 36.2 percent vs. 7.4 percent — and even better — nearly 42 percent — for those considered "local government workers," including teachers.

But labor's struggles continue as big business shamelessly jettisons pension plans and employee health benefits while announcing massive layoffs against the backdrop of corporate greed. These corporate behemoths have a total disregard for average Americans, outsourcing American jobs while importing inferior products brightly coated in lead paint — all the while reaping in the greatest tax breaks for the super rich in our nation's history. These are dollars that should have been spent on health care, education and our nation's infrastructure.

And the current administration in Washington has certainly not been a friend to working people. One has only to look to the hostility emanating from the National Labor Relations Board, which has been blatantly eroding workers' rights since being taken over by appointees of President Bush. Just recall last October's Kentucky River decision that could strip many workers of the right to organize by creating a new definition of "supervisor." That decision was one in a long list of attacks on labor and working people sanctioned by this administration.

New York, New York

Fortunately, the environment for workers here in New York is, for the most part, warm and inviting. In fact, New York ranks behind only Hawaii in the percentage of the working population represented by a union (24.4 percent, about 2 million people).

And lawmakers in Albany, many of whom NYSUT members helped elect, continue to demonstrate their respect for the contributions made by unions and their members by supporting pro-worker policies.

I was heartened earlier this summer, for example, when Gov. Spitzer's commissioner of labor, M. Patricia Smith, announced plans to step up enforcement against thousands of companies that illegally misclassify workers as "independent contractors."

This practice not only cheats the state out of millions of dollars in unemployment and other taxes, but it also prevents workers from unionizing and exempts them from minimum wage, overtime, occupational safety and most discrimination protections.

Independent contractors are also excluded from receiving the health and pension benefits other employees receive.

Gov. Spitzer and Commissioner Smith — along with Gov. Corzine, who has taken on the same issue in neighboring New Jersey — deserve credit for putting an end to misclassification and the labor abuses that result.

More recently, the Legislature passed and the governor signed legislation making it an improper practice for public employers to interfere with a worker's right to union representation in a disciplinary action.

These "Weingarten rights" provide vital protection to public employees and demonstrate that New York lawmakers recognize the importance of due process and fairness in the workplace.

Most significantly — thanks in large measure to NYSUT and its largest affiliate, the United Federation of Teachers — tens of thousands of child care workers in New York City have been given the right to organize. Many of these workers are paid so little — and for such crucial work — that they live perilously close to the poverty line. It's NYSUT's hope they'll see that joining with the UFT will give them a strong voice in the workplace and a seat at the table in the house of labor.

Labor peace

Meanwhile, the large majority of our local unions return to work after Labor Day with contracts in place or with votes to ratify agreements expected within the next few weeks.

That, as much as anything, is a good sign that unions and management in our professions are settling their labor differences so they can work together to help students, from kindergarten through post-graduate school, succeed.

That's not to say, of course, there aren't trouble spots around the state — you need only to read the story on page 7 about serious issues faced by our colleagues at Pace University to be reminded that not all in management understand the value of working cooperatively with the leaders of their workforce.

Likewise, we are watching the direction negotiations will take for members in our two largest higher ed locals, United University Professions (SUNY) and the Professional Staff Congress (CUNY). But when 85 percent of our 585,000 members have the protection of a fairly negotiated contract, you know we are in a period of labor wisdom and cooperation, allowing us to focus on the best interests of our students.

As we head back to our schools and campuses this week, and as we go back to work at our hospitals, labs and libraries after our end-of-summer celebrations, it's important to remember the role unions play in creating an environment that allows us to carry out our responsibilities in a way that serves the greater good.

Unions are a significant part of what makes our great nation strong. New York is integral to that history and NYSUT is proud to be an essential part of America's proud labor tradition.