I grew up in a union home. As a child, I stood alongside my mother on the picket line, fighting for fair wages and safe working conditions. My family was part of the United Steelworkers, and that meant stability, dignity, and the chance to build a better future.
Later, as an educator, I carried those lessons with me through my proud membership in the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) and in KASA. Those experiences taught me that when workers stand together, they can create real change.
In 2017, I marched alongside our unions at the right-to-work rally. I stood with working families while Governor Bevin and the GOP pushed legislation that tried to weaken unions and silence workers. That law, House Bill 1, became Kentucky’s right-to-work law in 2017. It banned requiring employees to join a union or pay union dues to keep their jobs, even though workers could still choose to join voluntarily. It passed fast—House approval, Senate approval, and Bevin’s signature all in just a few days—and it fundamentally changed how unions operate in our state.
Here in Franklin, Owen, Carroll, Gallatin, Boone, and Kenton counties, unions are part of our story. Steelworkers, teachers, nurses, and public employees have all helped build and protect our communities. Even if you’ve never carried a union card, you’ve benefited from their work—from the 40-hour week, to safer workplaces, to stronger schools.
So this Labor Day, I just want to say: thank you, unions. You inspire me. You’ve shaped my life, my values, and my commitment to fighting for working families. I’ll carry your fight with me every step of the way.
🩵 Stella
Stella for KY 