Monday, September 06, 2010
Happy Labor Day
Most of us consider Labor Day the official end of summer--its the end of summer vacations. (And, while most of us are no longer in school we still measure time by the start of the school year.)
We celebrate the end of summer with a bbq or a day at the beach or in the stores at the Back to School and Labor Day Sales. Once Labor Day was a day of speechifying and parades, but no more. Labor Day began back in the 1880s Labor Day by the NY labor unions to celebrate the workers. Congress made it a federal holiday in 1894, after the Pullman Strike resulted in the death of some strikers.
I think it fitting that we take a moment to think of the worker today--in today's economy. We are told the economy is getting better. Yet many of us are still economically insecure: the cost of living is still very high; there is still high unemployment (9.6%); little to no job growth to speak of--and the competition for those new jobs is fierce among the newly minted graduates/job seekers and the under- and un-employed; and foreclosures are still the order of the day. . .
We celebrate the end of summer with a bbq or a day at the beach or in the stores at the Back to School and Labor Day Sales. Once Labor Day was a day of speechifying and parades, but no more. Labor Day began back in the 1880s Labor Day by the NY labor unions to celebrate the workers. Congress made it a federal holiday in 1894, after the Pullman Strike resulted in the death of some strikers.
I think it fitting that we take a moment to think of the worker today--in today's economy. We are told the economy is getting better. Yet many of us are still economically insecure: the cost of living is still very high; there is still high unemployment (9.6%); little to no job growth to speak of--and the competition for those new jobs is fierce among the newly minted graduates/job seekers and the under- and un-employed; and foreclosures are still the order of the day. . .
Labels: Labor Day
Monday, September 07, 2009
Labor Day 2009
Labor Day, a day which for most of us marks the unofficial end of summer, after picnicking or beaching it today one last time we put away our proverbial white shoes and bathing suits, and look forward to the fall and the new school year. We have forgotten that Labor Day was first started by the Labor Movement in the late 1800s to honor the workers --the first Labor Day celebrated was in NYC in 1882. Labor Day did not become a national holiday until 1894.
We should take a moment today to reflect on what the labor movement gave to us--the 40 hour work week, safe(r) working conditions, child labor laws, minimum wages.
Of course, in today's economic climate some people blame the labor movement for our economic woes. the high wages paid to the auto workers are often cited for the collapse of the American auto industry is instead of auto executives for having tin ears and lack of foresight to build energy efficient vehicles and being paid too much, even as their companies were failing.
So, on this Labor Day in the time of high unemployment, stagnating wages, foreclosures, let us give thanks to the labor movement for the benefits we all enjoy. If we have to put the blame for our economic condition anywhere, put it on those who were/are so greedy their only concern is with the bottom line, not humankind.
Read Robert Reich's article: http://www.truthout.org/090609U?n
We should take a moment today to reflect on what the labor movement gave to us--the 40 hour work week, safe(r) working conditions, child labor laws, minimum wages.
Of course, in today's economic climate some people blame the labor movement for our economic woes. the high wages paid to the auto workers are often cited for the collapse of the American auto industry is instead of auto executives for having tin ears and lack of foresight to build energy efficient vehicles and being paid too much, even as their companies were failing.
So, on this Labor Day in the time of high unemployment, stagnating wages, foreclosures, let us give thanks to the labor movement for the benefits we all enjoy. If we have to put the blame for our economic condition anywhere, put it on those who were/are so greedy their only concern is with the bottom line, not humankind.
Read Robert Reich's article: http://www.truthout.org/090609U?n
Labels: Labor Day
