For most of my early life I considered Labor Day little more than a day off at the end of summer. That’s because I am not a union man. I have never belonged to a union, nor has anyone in my family. So what has the labor movement done for me? I have learned what organized labor has done to improve the lot of all American Workers, and I have come to understand that Labor Day is a celebration of Union labor, and one that is well deserved.
ThinkProgress has assembled just five of the many things that Americans can thank the nation’s unions for giving us all:
1. Unions Gave Us The Weekend: Even the ultra-conservative Mises Institute notes that the relatively labor-free 1870, the average workweek for most Americans was 61 hours — almost double what most Americans work now…
2. Unions Gave Us Fair Wages And Relative Income Equality: As ThinkProgress reported earlier in the week, the relative decline of unions over the past 35 years has mirrored a decline in the middle class’s share of national income…
3. Unions Helped End Child Labor: “Union organizing and child labor reform were often intertwined” in U.S. history, with organization’s like the “National Consumers’ League” and the National Child Labor Committee” working together in the early 20th century to ban child labor…
4. Unions Won Widespread Employer-Based Health Coverage: “The rise of unions in the 1930′s and 1940′s led to the first great expansion of health care” for all Americans, as labor unions banded workers together to negotiate for health coverage plans from employers…
5. Unions Spearheaded The Fight For The Family And Medical Leave Act: Labor unions like the AFL-CIO federation led the fight for this 1993 law, which “requires state agencies and private employers with more than 50 employees to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave annually for workers to care for a newborn, newly adopted child, seriously ill family member or for the worker’s own illness.”
… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
It’s well worth the time to click through for the rest of this article.
Furthermore, here is an excellent video on what labor has done for America.
Therefore, to begin my celebration of Labor Day in the best possible way, I wish to thank all of you who are or have been union workers. My life is better because of you. And to you and everyone else, have a Happy Labor Day!
18 Responses to “Labor Day Greeting”
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My Grandfather and Father- Uncles– many fought for these things we so take for granted ; my grandfather paid with his life in the struggle for the right to organize – My Dad paid with his health , my husband walked picket lines–Yes – We are in real danger of losing what was won by men and women who were willing to fight for those to come-
We owe your family many thanks!
Love the RushLim sounding boss. Wonderful vid.
I haven't ever been in a union either, but my brother is and he's very aware that without the union, he wouldn't have health care, overtime pay, or the pension he'll eventually get to help support him in retirement.
As for me, the SEIU and AFSCME made my non-Union division play keep-up with every union benefit just to keep us out of the union. Seemed to work.
That's how unions benefit non members. Thanks!
Labor Unions are the only protection that we working poor have to keep for profit business honest… Please, no more living, working and shopping at the company town and the company store…
Amen, Richard.
My journey with labour and unions.
When I was a child, Labour Day meant going to or participating in the Labour Day parade. Floats and bands celebrating Labour Day, not labour as such in my child's mind. Neither of my parents were union members so unions were not a topic of conversation in the house, not that it was banned, it just wasn't a topic of conversation.
Fast forward 15 years. After moving from Ontario to BC, unions became a topic of conversation. My stepfather was in a pulp and paper workers union so we encountered strikes etc. My mother worked for the municipality and then the provincial government so she became a union member. But me, I went into banking, a non unionised industry, and not one known for a living wage or benefits at the time. Benefits started to be looked at 'seriously' by management in 1975 with company pension changes that were more equitable for women. At the time, I thought this was a good move by the bank, but the following year, I came to see what prompted these changes — formation of 2 BC bank workers' unions. So much for the company's concern for my welfare. But I was still young and undeterred. I had heard that seniority was the norm and I was not going to be held back by someone who had more seniority but less ambition. And I was not going to be told I was working too hard or that I had to stay home because 'this is a strike'. So I maintained an anti union stance. I became a manager about that time and was now officially out of the clutches of the union. It was a rough time, an antagonistic time. The unionisation move in the banking industry escalated but has since dramatically retreated. I believe there are still some small pockets but you rarely, if ever, hear about them any more. But through all this, one thing I gained was a more balanced view of unions and the motivations that often drive large employers like Canadian banks.
Now, when I think of Labour Day, I think of all workers, unionised and non unionised. There is no doubt that unions have contributed much to the labour movement. Many non union workers have benefited equally as union 'fought for benefits' became societal norms and were adopted into national, provincial/state legislation.
But one area that still needs recognition and help are the farm workers. There is the United Farm Workers Union but still problems remain. Read this article from Wikipedia on the United Farm Workers Union. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Farm_Workers And this Care2 article on farm workers. http://www.care2.com/causes/no-day-of-rest-for-americas-farmworkers.html
There have been many deaths of farm workers in BC. Many have involved the deaths of workers in highway accidents as they were being transported to the fields by contractors in vehicles licensed to carry 10 people but crammed with 15 workers. To my knowledge, all East Asian workers, some elderly but still going into the fields to pick crops. Another was an explosion that killed 3 Vietnamese workers at a mushroom farm — unsafe working conditions with the employer at fault. The families of these 3 men are left out in the cold because the farm owner declared bankruptcy. This was still in the spotlight last week. And there are still many deaths and injuries around the globe to farm workers. And remember this, these are workers that help to get food into our bellies.
My journey with unions has changed a lot in my 60 years. We owe many thanks to unions. But we owe each other even more in keeping up the fight for fair wages, benefits and working conditions for ALL people. And the enemy is corporate GREED!
That's quite a story, Lynn, and I agree about the plight of farm workers. Go Labor and Labour!
I believe in Unions. I have been in unions and my family has been in unions. There are many things we would not have had without these unions. RR started breaking the back of unions over the traffic controllers and it continues today with many companies. Sad indeed. Years ago, you could go to work for a good company in a good paying job with benefits and stay there until retirement with security. Today, you have no or not much security and lucky if you have a good union.
Gypsy, I agree. As union membership has declined, so have de facto wages for workers.
Back before I lost my hearing, I remember that commercial supporting Unions with that catchy tune of "Look for the Union Label!"
(My only concern is, did we really look and dress like that back then? Lord have mercy!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lg4gGk53iY
What a blast from the past!!
I have never belonged to a union, either, but my grandfathers and father did. My grandfather marched on D/C/ with John L. Lewis for the United Mine Workers of America. Thanks to that union, my dad was able to support and educate four children, and my mom got to stay at home. Fast forward, almost none of the mines in Eastern Kentucky are union now. The miners have no job security, many don't have the safety procedures they need to live through a shift of work. Their wives have to work because they don't earn enough at this extremely dangerous job to have the luxury of a stay at home wife. When the unions die, wages at non-union places go down too. We have mountaintop removal here now, all non-union. What it really means is the coal companies can employ about a fourth of the miners that underground mining requires. They can pollute our streams and destroy our landscape at will. If anyone criticizes, they are "against coal" and the enemy of the person who actually has a job. I sincerely hope to see the return of the unions to the coal fields of Kentucky. Maybe then we won't have so many living in poverty.
Well said, Edie. I hope so too!
During all my years of working, I have only had a union job once. I was skeptical of joining but my fellow workers talked me into it. I was an employee of the Feds, the IRS. Oh no!
How would the world look without unions? Company bosses could pay slave wages to children for working up to 80 hours a week because their parents are in debtor's prisons owned by those same companies. The children would live on the streets or in children's workhouses owned by those same companies. Health insurance? Forget about it. You won't need it because you won't want to live like that anymore. Mass pauper's graves. Just a bulldozer needed to dig the hole and fill it in.
I suggest everyone who would vote RepublicanT to re-read a little bit of Dicken again.
I fully agree, Patty!
I used to think that unions have lost their purpose, but no, after listening to this to this clip, I no feel that way. Long live unions!
In the 70s I thought the same thing. Now I know better.