Unions Best Path for Workers in South Carolina

Letter from Chris Salley

Happy Labor Day, Anderson! Today, we honor the working people who are the true heart of South Carolina’s economy.

I’m proud to be from Anderson County, where my family’s roots run deep: my Paw Paw worked at the Wellington mill in Homeland Park, my Grandma was a seamstress at Sky City, and many of my relatives are educators here. My family taught me the strength of interdependence—how much stronger we are together than alone. After a decade in the workforce, I’ve seen how this truth applies on the job too.

Workplaces thrive when people cooperate rather than compete. That’s why I joined the Communications Workers of America. Our union members do everything from laying telephone lines to reporting the news, to fundraising for nonprofits across the country.

Being in a union means we have a say in our workplace. Union workers make 18% more than our nonunion counterparts. We’re more likely to have health benefits, safer working conditions, and job security—even in tough times. Countries with strong unions have the happiest and healthiest people. Life is simply better in a union.

Many in Anderson, our state, and our nation are struggling–but there’s hope! Workers everywhere, including right here in South Carolina, are realizing that unions are our best tool to fight back against inequality and corporate greed.

This Labor Day, let’s celebrate the momentum of working people organizing for a better future. It’s better in a union, and South Carolina workers deserve better.

Chris Salley is a political activist who lives in Anderson and is a current member of the Communications Workers of America, former Chair of the Democratic Party of Anderson County, and former 2022 State House candidate.