The person who’s flipping burgers and making sure there are enough hot dogs to go around at your Labor Day barbecue deserves a little extra thanks, don’t you think? 

Unions and working families will honor the holiday that celebrates the hard work that has made America strong by doing something special this year: recognizing people for their work.

The AFL-CIO is launching a new online application, just in time to reclaim Labor Day as a day to recognize that everyone's work matters. On the new app, at www.aflcio.org/thankyou, participants can send thank-you cards and videos through Facebook and e-mail to friends and others whose work they depend on. 

To kick off the campaign, actress Gabrielle Carteris of “Beverly Hills, 90210” joined us in thanking the people who produce and sell the food her children eat every day, from the farmers to the grocery store employers. (Scroll down to watch the video).

Who do you want to thank? Send a card at www.aflcio.org/thankyou or upload your own YouTube video. View all the AFL-CIO Thank You videos. 

Something as simple as a thank-you card can go a long way in brightening someone’s day. 

And no matter what you do, your work makes the work of others possible. Teachers depend on electricians. Who count on steelworkers. Who need nurses and engineers. Who rely on researchers and bus drivers and flight attendants. Who depend on taxi and child care workers. Who need autoworkers and traffic cops and firefighters. Work connects us all.