Monday, September 1, 2014

Labor Day: A Serious Holiday

Labor Day is a serious holiday about a serious subject. It goes back 120 years and was started after a deadly battle with union members, the Pullman Strike and battle resulting in 30 deaths.

Labor unions fought long and hard to make life better for workers, creating a middle class in the U.S. and improving the economy and life for everyone. 

To name a few achievements, the labor movement brought about a five-day forty-hour work week, prohibition of child labor, workplace safety, reasonable pensions, and fair salaries for all including women (my grandmother was a loyal member of the ILGWU).

It is difficult to understand that some people do not realize that all Americans benefit from what unions have achieved and could achieve again.

Unfortunately, in recent years the labor union has suffered reverses, such as the recent Supreme Court decision in Harris v. Quinn that workers who benefit from union achievements but are not members of the union do not have to pay anything for those benefits. 

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