Why Is There A Labor Day?

 

Welcome to the last “official” long weekend holiday of the summer!  It typically marks the closing of pools, the beginning of the school year, and the last quick vacation. But what is Labor Day really? Simply a day marking the end of summer or something more?

 Labor Day was established on June 28, 1894 and reluctantly signed into law by President Grover Cleveland, making the first Monday of each September a federal day set aside to celebrate the efforts of organized labor and the gains---financial and social--- it has made on behalf of  organized labor and the working class. Before then, there was something of  a “unofficial” day set by various unions, the date varying from place to place.

 It bears mentioning that organized labor, and those pushing for a day of recognition for organized labor were regarded as “socialist”, and indeed, they were. Most of those who belonged to labor unions were affiliated with various socialist political parties including the Socialist Party of America. Also, unions tended to become popular in jobs sectors with a history of abusing its employees such as mining, the auto industry, the garment industry, and shipping (train and cargo ships) and employed mostly immigrants and minorities.

 Later on, various other laws such as Social Security, minimum wage, 40 hour work week, child labor laws, women’s right to vote, job safety and the creation of OSHA, worker’s compensation, unemployment, and welfare were all labeled as “socialist” (or even “communist”) and vigorously opposed by Big Business.

Not long after the first Labor Day parade was held on September 5, 1882 in New York City, the New York State legislature began work to introduce a bill to formally recognize organized labor. However, it was Oregon which was first sign into law a bill establishing a day honoring labor on February 27, 1887.  Later that same year, four other states, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado, and New York signed into law bills which not just acknowledged organized labor but also established them as state recognized holidays.

By 1890, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut join the growing list of states to celebrate organized labor. Four years later, 23 states  passed laws to honor working men and women. Finally, on June 28, 1894, Congress decided to get on the act, thus establishing Labor Day as an official federal holiday.

While this was a major victory for the working class, who was the first person to propose a day recognizing labor? Not surprisingly, the answer isn’t so clear cut. However, there are two individuals most often cited. The earliest records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, the son of poor Irish Catholic immigrants and general secretary for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners as well as the co-founder of the American Federation of Labor (“AFL”) first suggested setting aside a day to honor the working class.

The other contender was Matthew Maguire, another child of Irish immigrant parents. Maguire was the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists and Blacksmiths located in Paterson, New Jersey. He made the proposal in 1882 while serving as the recording secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Maguire was also a New York alderman.

Additionally, the New Jersey Historical Society reported that according to an editorial in the Paterson Morning Call newspaper, “Alderman Maguire” President Cleveland should give Maguire a ”souvenir pen”.  As an aside, in 1896, Maguire ran as the vice presidential candidate for the Socialist Labor Party of America alongside the presidential candidate, Charles H. Matchett.

 Labor membership continued to growing, reaching almost 1/3 of the workforce by the end of the 1950’s, although in terms of actual numbers, it reached its highest point in 1979, hitting 29 million dues paying members. Nevertheless, union membership began its decline in the 1960s, accelerating in the 1980’s under President Ronald Reagan as companies began closing plants and exporting jobs overseas.

The once powerful public sector unions have also lost much of their clout following the infamous 1981 strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) which resulted in the firing of some 11,000 striking air traffic controllers over pay, hours, and job safety issues by President Reagan, which, among other things, prohibits public unions from striking.  

 Another reason for the decline of union membership is growing trend of “Right to Work” legislation., which stems from Section14(b) of the 1947 Taft-Harley Act which gives state the authority to prohibit mandatory union membership even in a closed (or union) shop. Under “Right to Work”, employees may elect not to join a union and thus are not required to pay union dues.

 However, these employees still benefit from any and all collective bargaining agreements, including the use of a shop steward to assist them with any employment issue. The result is a drain on union resources. Currently there are 27 "Right to Work" states which include Kentucky, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Indiana. 

 Today, organized labor makes up roughly 10% of the workforce or about 14.3 million workers, with public unions comprising the bulk of union membership (33%) compared to just 6% who belong to private unions. The states with the highest union membership is Hawaii with 26.5% of its workforce belonging to a union. Hawaii is followed by New York with 20% and Alaska with 17.7%.

 Education and protective services such as teachers, police, EMS, and fire have the highest percentage of union membership. Black employees are most likely to belong to a union, more so than Hispanics, Whites, Asians, or Native Americans.  Meanwhile, men are slightly more likely to belong to a union than women (10.5% to 9.5% respectively).

I guess I've always tended to support unions, employee owned workplaces. and employee initiatives. Most of my relatives belonged to unions, especially mining and railroad. I've worked primarily for several non-union companies. Most were decent, but some seriously "used and abused" their employees. 

This resulted in high employee turnover, sloppy work, very low morale, heated outbursts, and hostile work conditions amid poor management skills. In fact, they were so bad, I used them as examples in the undergraduate and graduate classes I taught. Amusingly, few of my students believed the examples were from a real---albeit unnamed---company!  

In every place I worked, I was asked by fellow employees to serve as the employee representative. I'm not sure why I was repeatedly chosen. Perhaps they thought I'd be fair and balanced or perhaps it was because I wasn't bashful about challenging authority figures. Regardless, I was always honored by the trust and confidence my fellow employees had in me to take on management.

My last position before retiring was that of "Special Coordinator to the President for Special Projects". Basically, this was an assistant vice president position which functioned similar to my previous roles as an employee/management liaison (some saw it as a “non-union shop steward”). I provided a comprehensive report to the company president and the Regional Vice President with recommendations for the improvement of company morale and productivity (in addition to my role as Senior Legal Manager).

In addition to serving on several non-profit boards, I was appointed state chairperson of a national writers union (UAW/NWU 1981) where I served for 11 years. I handled state based issues and served on the local labor council. I was elected as the National Vice Chairperson of the At Large Chapter and served on several national committees. I also liaised with several labor oriented organizations and served on the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council.

Equality and fairness in the workplace has always been a historically important union issue. Unions backed social causes like the Women's Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights, and the Chicano Movement of migrant farm workers and sharecroppers for fair wages, not to mention the Family Medical Leave Act,  and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) which guaranteed returning military personal their old job back or paid training for a similar job in the event their earlier job or place of employment was gone. Many also unions opposed President Clinton's "NAFTA", which turned out to be a disaster for many American businesses as well as the working class.

Unions are said to have created the middle class, which may very well be true, but it's not been all wine and roses. If you look at countries with no or weak unions, you tend to find a weak middle class and widespread poverty. Of course, that isn’t to say unions are the answer to every social or economic problem, nor are unions always applicable to every job sector, but they aren’t the villain they are often made out to be by Big Business.

Additionally, unions have faced a lot of problems over the years, externally and internally. One of which is their refusal to think outside of the box, or to be more accurate, outside of the hip pocket of the Democratic Party which, like the Republicans, greedily serves Wall Street, leaving unions to “manage” the employees on behalf of management rather than represent them.

Union leadership has consistently failed to protect the best interests of its members by not making the major parties or candidates compete for their support. Labor must look elsewhere, even if it means forming its own political party (did you know that we're the only industrial nation---and one of the few nations period--- without a Labor party?) or face eventual extinction. It’s not a question of “if”, but “when”.

So, as you and yours do whatever you do on this last long weekend of the summer, take a moment to remember what Labor Day is all about---the working class of America.

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Labor Day

History of Labor Day

Right To Work—What It Is And More Importantly, What It Isn’t?

Labor unions in the United States

Unions, Workers, And Wages At The Peak Of The AmericanLabor Movement

US labor union membership slips in 2024 to record low

Right to Work

The Consequences Of Reagan Breaking The 1981 Air TrafficControllers Strike

Matthew Maguire

Charles H. Matchett

Peter J. McGuire

AFL-CIO: Peter J. McGuire

Socialist Labor Party of America

 

 

 

Labor Day: A Day for the American Worker

Labor Day was established in 1894 and signed into law by president Grover Cleveland  to make the first Monday of each September a federal day set aside to celebrate the efforts of organized labor and the gains---financial and social--- it has made on behalf of all workers, union and non-union.

I guess I've always tended to support unions, employee owned workplaces. and employee initiatives. From the time I got out of the Navy in 1979 to when I retired at the ripe old age of 55 in 2013, I've worked for several non-union companies. Most were decent, but some seriously "used and abused" their employees and left much to be desired. This resulted in a lot of employee turnovers, sloppy work, very low morale, hostile outbursts, and some unnecessary tense work conditions.

In every place I worked, I was asked by fellow employees to be the employee representative. I'm not sure why I was repeatedly chosen. Maybe they thought I'd be fair and balanced or perhaps it was because I wasn't bashful about challenging authority figures! Regardless, I was always honored by the trust and confidence my fellow employees had in me to take on the role of employee/management liaison.

My last position before retiring was that of "Special Coordinator to the President for Special Projects". Basically this was a assistant vice president position which functioned similar to my previous roles as a employee/management liaison. I was to provide a comprehensive report to the company president and the Regional Vice President along with recommendations for the improvement of company morale and productivity (in addition to my role as Senior Legal Manager, where I oversaw around 30 contract attorneys and managed a receivables portfolio of some $15 million dollars).

In addition to serving on several non-profit boards, I was appointed state chairperson of a national writers union (NWU 1918) where I served for 11 years. I handled state based issues and served on the local labor council. I was elected as the National Vice Chairperson of the At Large Chapter and served on several national committees. I also liaised with several worker oriented organizations.

Did you know organized labor has been chiefly responsible for establishing the 40 hour work week, health and other benefits, paid vacations and personal time, job safety (resulting in the creation of OSHA), an end to child labor (children as young as 8 years old were often working in mines),  fiscal accountability of hours worked and wages earned? They promoted Social Security, unemployment insurance and worker's compensation for work related injuries.

Equality and fairness in the workplace has always been a historically important union issue. Unions backed social causes like the Women's Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights, and the Chicano Movement of migrant farm workers and sharecroppers for fair wages, not to mention the Family Medical Leave Act,  and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) which guaranteed returning military personal their old job back or paid training for a similar job in the event their earlier job or place of employment was gone. But these gains didn't come easy. They opposed President Clinton's "NAFTA", which was a disaster for American industries and blue collar workers.

It's estimated that at least 1100 individuals died fighting for worker rights (many murdered by "enforcers" hired by company bosses). Thousands more were injured. Some badly. Others permanently. Companies used every form of intimidation imaginable, from reducing hours for hourly employees (or overloading them with hours and no breaks or rest time), ostracizing employees (and anyone who associated with them) to outright firing them. A lot of blood was spilled for these "concessions".

Since the advent of the modern Industrial Age, countless workers, mostly women, worked for low wages in the textile industry, often in hot and unsafe conditions. Many were maimed or killed. With no daycare, the women often brought their children with them, tucking infants and small children under chairs or beside their machines. Not surprisingly injuries or some other mishap wasn't uncommon among the children, such as lung disease, hearing loss, or the loss of a finger.

In 1911, some 600,individuals, mostly women, were working at the Triangle Garment Company, owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, and located in the Greenwich Village district of Manhattan. The company occupied the top three floors of the ten storied Asch Building (now the "Brown Building"). For the time, the building was often billed as being "fireproof" (like the unsinkable Titanic in 1912 I guess).

The women, mostly young and recent Jewish and Italian immigrants, were engaged in manufacturing of women's blouses, an industry declining in popularity. The women worked 9 hours a day and earned between $7 and $12 a week conditions were stifling.  Windows were often kept shut and typically management required all doors to be closed and locked from the outside (a supervisor had the key).

On the late afternoon of March 25th, a fire mysteriously broke out in a rag bin and quickly spread. As all the doors were locked from the outside, the only options were burning alive, smoke inhalation, or jumping out the windows to certain death. Many chose the latter. 146 individuals---123 women and 23 men---perished in what was one of the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry.

Although sued by family members, with no safety regulations, the two owners were found innocent. Meanwhile, their insurance company paid Harris and Blanck $60,000 for the loss of their business. That equates to $75 per life lost, of which the families never saw a dime (it was never determined if the fire was accidental or not, but it's worth noting that the two owners had been found guilty on four occasions previously of insurance fraud by arson). OSHA would not be founded for another 60 years when, after intense union pressure, it was signed into law by then President Richard Nixon.

In company owned towns (which were common in and around mines and lumber mills) reprisals for union organizing may include refusal of service at company owned grocery stores (workers weren't paid in U.S. currency, but in company script which was worthless anywhere else), evictions from company owned housing, the rape of wives and daughters, expelling their children from company run schools, and verbal condemnation at company approved churches (attendance was often mandatory). If the "problem" couldn't be resolved "in-house", the company would often employ "other measures".

"Other measures" often took the form of militias or recruited vigilantes, private security companies (like the Pinkertons), hiring  (aka bribing) local cops to break up protests as brutally as possible. If that failed, company presidents would use their influence to get the governor (who was usually in their back pocket anyway) to call out the National Guard and "restore order" and detain ring leaders.

Since many of the workers were Black, German, Irish, Scots, Welsh, Jewish, Asian (predominantly Chinese) or Italian, there was no shortage of hate groups willing to inflict as much violence as possible and get paid for it! Arson or the use of dynamite were often employed as "tools of anti-union trade" and when those tactics didn't work, it sometimes came down to cold blooded murder.

The result was decades of bloody "wars" between companies and their employees from the steel mills of Pittsburgh, the docks of New York, the  coal mines and hollows of Appalachia, and the automobile factories of the Northeast. Ultimately, the workers won, at least in the short term.

Unions were finally officially recognized thanks to the passage of "National Labor Relations Act of 1935"  (aka "The Wagner Act") on the heels of the Great Depression and signed into by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  FDR was perhaps the most labor friendly president in our country's history.      

His long time friends and opponents, mainly on Wall Street, often called him a "traitor to his class", and perhaps he was. The aim of the "Wagner Act" was to mediate differences between labor and management in order to prevent strikes and work stoppages which weaken an already struggling economy. But the fighting between workers and owners needed to stop for the sake of the nation's economic health (ultimately is wasn't the recognition of unions which saved the economy, but World War II).  

Eventually Big Business was able to claw back many of their concessions. There was no way they were going to allow the political clout of organized labor to stand. In 1949, with bipartisan support, the 80th Congress went over President Harry Truman's head and enacted the "Taft-Hartley Act".  

The act restricted many of Labor's actions against employers, specifically  wildcat strikes, political strikes, solidarity strikes and secondary boycotts. It prohibited discrimination against  non-union members, and additional rights such the right to vote out a union and the right of companies to vote on a union's demands, but it didn't stop there.

In 1959, Congress enacted the Landrum-Griffith Act which was made law with President Dwight Eisenhower's signature.  Also known as the "Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act", the law was primarily geared to protect union members from any corrupt activities of union officials may be engaged in. This was the era of organized crime's takeover of a number of unions, notably the "big four",  the International Longshoremen, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Laborers International of North America, and Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International. 

It made union participation or involvement in racketeering, bribery, extortion, misuse of union funds, intimidation of workers illegal. Anyone found guilty could be removed from their union position and race fines or even jail time. It also created a "Bill of Rights" for union members (which was later extended to include non-union employees as well). 

It should bear mentioning that the Landrum-Griffith Act was passed during the era of "McCarthyism",  "the red Scare", and the "Cold War". The importance of this and how it relates to unions is that many of the early union leaders admitted to being socialist or Communist. Perhaps the best known of these was Robert Le Follett, A. Phillip Randolph, Mary Harris "Mother" Jones,  Eugene Debbs and Samuel Gompers.

Some of the unions which had a large socialist or Communist membership included the CIO and AFL, the UAW, International Union of Electrical Workers,  International Workers of the World ("Wobbles"), the Transport Workers Union, the Longshoremen, and the United Steelworkers.

In addition, many of the laws passed in the 1930's like Social Security, unemployment, the right to unionize and strike were all labeled as "anti-American", "socialist" and "Communist". Nevertheless, most of these laws are not just still with us, but have become institutionalized as a "national right".

Unions are said to have created the middle class, which may very well be true, but it's not been all wine and roses. I voluntarily joined the NWU. I wasn't coerced into joining. It offered me an advantage and I felt I had something I could offer the union. I was honored to have been the liaison on behalf of my fellow employees for 34 years. We accomplished a great deal for ourselves and the company's bottom line. Lastly, while I support unions and the right to organize and bargain for better pay and work conditions, I also believe in free choice and not being compelled into joining any organization.

However, those individuals who decline to join should not expect to receive all of the benefits that their fellow union employees do. That's the trade off. It's called personal responsibility. For me, it's just that "something" about being told I "must" do or participate in something without being given a choice that irks me to the core. I bet no one is surprised to read that! We also have to remember the years of corruption and crime which has smeared the reputation of organized labor, perhaps forever. 

Finally, unions refuse to think outside of the box, or to be more accurate, outside of the hip pocket of  the Democratic Party which, like the Republicans, greedily serves Wall Street. Union leadership has consistently failed to protect the best interests of its members by not making the major parties or candidates compete for its support. Labor must look elsewhere, even if it means forming it's own political party (we're the only industrial nation without a Labor party) or face eventual extinction.  

So, that's a brief history of Labor Day and why you get a three day weekend marking the last "official" holiday of the Summer, but remember the high price others paid for you to have that one extra day off.

 

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The Haymarket Affair

Lists of worker deaths in United States labor disputes

No union mines left in Kentucky, where labor wars once waged

Union busting

History of union busting in the United States

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

USERRA: A Guide to the Uniformed Employment or ReemploymentAct

What Is The Taft-Hartley Act?

1959 Landrum-Griffin Act

Communist Party USA and the American labor movement (1919 -1937)

Communist Party USA and the American labor movement (1937 -1950)

 

 

 

Labor Day and its Socialist Origins

 Labor Day. That three day weekend holiday which marks the "official"  (more or less) end of Summer. It typically means picnics, last trips to the lake, beach, or public pools before they're all closed.  For many it marks the beginning of another school year while for others it's all those Labor Day sales! Although nothing beats "Black Friday" or "Cyber Monday" in terms of sales and deep discounts, Labor Day is considered by retailers to be the third biggest retail shopping day in terms of sales volume.  

But what is "Labor Day" really? Well, it was intended to be a day to honor the working men and women, particularly those belonging to a union, who built this nation and kept it running. Labor Day was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on June 28, 1894 establishing the first Monday of September as a national holiday, and yet despite its 129 year history, so few of us know the full story of Labor Day or its socialist beginnings.

Yes, you read that right. Labor Day was established essentially as a socialist holiday. The origins of Labor Day began starting in the 1880's with the rise of trade unions and the labor movement, primarily in response to dangerous working conditions, poor wages, long hours, a lack of healthcare, and miserable housing. Working women had it just as bad as the men, which was pretty bad. Even children as young as six or seven were often pressed to working in conditions well beyond their years.

Some employers, like Ford, even required workers to follow a certain moral code or social guidelines like no drinking, smoking or mandatory church attendance (of the employer's choice) just to remain employed! Company inspectors made routine visits to ensure compliance while others were required to live in so-called "company towns" and were paid in "script", thus attaching them to their employer.

Work related injuries, respiratory diseases like black lung, and premature deaths were common, and yet there was no legal recourse with the employer or state. The misery and coarseness of everyday life can't be stressed hard enough because in today's world such misery can hardly be imagined. These were just some of the conditions which led to workers slowly organizing into unions and associations whose governance was based on the majority vote and "an injury to one is an injury to all" mentality. 

 The origins of Labor Day can ultimately be traced to two individuals, Peter J. McGuire and Matthew Maguire. Peter was born in New York City in 1852, the son of a poor Irish Catholic immigrants. He was the co-founder, along with German immigrant Gustav Luebkert, of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in 1881.

McGuire later joined with Austrian born Adolph Strasser, the president of the Cigar Makers Union, to found the Socialist Democrat Workingman's Party of North America (Strasser, along with Samuel Gompers, would later found the American Federation of Labor or AFL).  The unions sought to merge social democracy with improving living conditions of the masses.

McGuire, by now a vice president of the AFL, is generally credited with being the first to propose the creation of a national day recognizing the labor movement in America after an earlier visit to Toronto Canada to see the May Day celebrations ("May Day", celebrated on May 1st, is also known as the International Day of the Worker) at a convention of the Knights of Labor in 1882. 

The other individual given credited with helping to establish Labor Day is Matthew Maguire. Matthew was the general secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York, Brooklyn and New Jersey (or known simply as the CLU), which later merged with what became the AFL-CIO. The union, which was strongly Marxist, was originally founded in 1867 in New York and ultimately spread to Philadelphia.

The union was closely tied to the United Labor Party, a combination of a number of unions and organizations such as the Socialist Labor Party, the Knights of Labor, the Central Labor Union  and another 113 similar unions and labor associations.

The party, which was formed following the Haymarket Riot of 1886, promoted  free trade, the secret ballot, a single tax on all private property, ending child and convict labor, and promoting low fares on public transportations and discounts on public utilities for low income families. 

It is alleged by some that Matthew Maguire had first suggested setting aside a day to honor working men and women to CLU leadership, and after some discussion, the suggestion was approved. Others, however, suggest that Matthew was merely given credit for the suggestion since he was the general secretary. Nevertheless, the CLU is believed to be the first union to begin promoting parades, festivities and so forth to honor working men and women of the labor movement.

The popularity of the labor holiday quickly spread from city to city and state to state, becoming either an official holiday or a de facto one with parades, picnics, speeches, and so forth. By 1894, 30 of the 44 U.S. states had made it an official holiday. In that same year, Congress (obviously recognizing a winning issue with labor) proposed a bill making it a federal holiday. It was signed by President Grover Cleveland in June, and was to go into effect that September. It should be pointed out that the new law pertain only to federal employees and it took until the 1930's before the holiday was legally celebrated everywhere.

Ironically, the first Labor Day came immediately following the infamous "Pullman Strike" which was two closely related strikes involving members of the American Railway Union led by Eugene V. Debs, the Pullman Palace Car Company, the producer of railroad cars, and unorganized workers living in the company town of Pullman. 

These individuals were demanding the right to organize and protesting their living conditions, overpriced food sold by the sole company owned store, excessive utility and water rates, and low pay (employees were also paid in "script" which made it all but impossible to go somewhere else) while others were protesting a recent wage cut and working conditions. 

Pullman cited declining revenue following the financial Panic of 1893 as the reason for cutting wages. Within four days of the strike, 125,000 railroad workers were involved. It ended with  57 injured, 70+ dead, and 4 arrested.

As an aside, Eugene V. Debs, who was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and an ardent democratic socialist and labor activist. He was elected to the Indiana State House of Representatives in 1885 and ran for president four times under the Social Democrats and Socialist Party banners. He co-founded the International Workers of the World (IWW or aka "The Wobbles"). 

Because of the socialist convictions, Debs was arrested in 1918 on ten counts of alleged sedition (he had been urging workers to resist the draft). Sound familiar? Debs was stripped of his right to vote for life and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Nevertheless, he continued to run for the presidency behind bars!  Debs still received 914,919 votes. The Pullman Strike would later become known as "The Debs Rebellion". 

In researching this article I came across four very informative and entertaining videos pertaining to Labor Day and other events mentioned here. I'm providing a link below. Most are fairly short in duration, but quite educational nevertheless. Hope you enjoy and have a great Labor Day weekend.

If you enjoyed the article, please consider passing it along to others and don't forget to subscribe. It's free! Lastly please be sure to "like" us on whatever platform you use to read anotheropinionblog.com. It helps with the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation. Thank you! 

 

Video: The History of Labor Day (2:18 minutes)

 

Video: Labor Day's Violent Beginnings (2:34 minutes)

 

Video: The Haymarket Tragedy (5:51 minutes)

Video: The Pullman Strike (5:31 minutes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is Labor Day Still Relevant Aside From Being A Three Day Weekend?

Labor Day. The (more or less) official day marking the end of Summer the same way Memorial Day marks the beginning of Summer. Typically, we use these days as sort of "markers" to plan our vacations and DIY outside jobs like painting the house or building a new deck, plus it provides the exclamation point to a three day weekend. Of course, it's always a time for sales! But, what is Labor Day besides a seasonal placeholder? Have you ever wondered way Labor Day even exists?

Well, as the name implies, Labor Day was set aside to celebrate or recognize "Working Class America". It is a tribute to the ordinary men and women who've made this country so successful; to the innovations everyday individuals have made to and for the collective good of us all. Whereas holidays like Memorial Day honor those brave men and women who have given their lives in the protection of this nation and its freedoms, Labor Day honors the collective "us", be it coal miners, teachers, first responders, truck drives, factory workers, garbage workers, and so on. It is "our" day.

I've often thought that the symbolic placement of Labor Day was somewhat appropriate. After all, when the work is finally done, only then does the worker have an opportunity to set and appreciate the joys of his or her labors. Thus, Labor Day falls at the end of the Summer, and all the hard work has been completed. In the same sense, Memorial Day comes at the beginning, and as such, we first honor those who've come before us and laid down their lives for our sakes.

Labor Day was, historically, primarily a localize event throughout the latter half of the 19th century. The First State to make Labor Day a state holiday was Oregon, which did so on February 1, 1887. The reason was primarily to attract skilled labor from the East Coast to work in its mining and lumber industry. Within the same year, others states passed their own legislation to make Labor Day a state holiday. Among these, were New York, which had been the center of the labor movement as a result of mass influx of immigrants from Europe; many of whom had been exposed to the ideas of worker rights thanks to mainly to the Socialist and democratic political groups . Other states included Colorado, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. By the close of the century, 23 states had proposed and adopted a day to honor workers. On June 28, 1894, Congress voted to make the first Monday of September a national holiday throughout the nation, its territories, and the District of Columbia.

The first actual celebration of Labor Day was in New York City on September 5, 1882 in conjunction with the Central Labor Union which encouraged other unions as well as businesses to participate. By 1884, Labor Day was seen as a celebration of workers complete with festivals, displays, speeches by politicians and community leaders, labor representatives, and parades designed to promote the comradeship of the various trade and labor unions. In addition, the American Federation of Labor (the AFL), introduced a proposal in 1909 that the preceding Sunday was to be dedicated to educational training such as the history of the union movement, how to organize, and the various objectives of the Labor Movement like gender equality, improving working conditions, child labor laws, 40 hour work week, the right to collectively bargain and organize, women's right to vote, and so forth. Many of these would eventually become federal laws. Workers were also taught about the Socialist Movement, which organized labor had, at least partially, had sprung.

Over time, many of goals proposed by organized labor became law. Federal agencies were created to protect workers---union or non-union---such as the Department of Wage and Hour, Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), the Department of Labor, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Housing and Human Services, the creation of a Labor Relations Board to mention a few. Meanwhile, various laws were enacted such as the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (which was amended in 1963 to include the Equal Pay Act of 1963), the Civil Acts Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as well as various acts to prevent discrimination based disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic heritage, or race.

Some have wondered if we really need to continue to celebrate Labor Day. After all, many of their original aims have been accomplished through federal legislation. Some unions, such as the AFL-CIO, are reduced to promoting so-called "amnesty" for the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the US. However, they're not promoting amnesty and allowing some 11 million individuals to skip to the head of the line out of the pure kindness. The majority of these illegal immigrants work in low income service or manual jobs; jobs which have a union unit such as for unskilled labor, hotel housekeeping, horse and dog track workers, and various trades such as roofing and carpenters. Today, the number of union members are declining rapidly (as of 2016, only 6.4% of private industry employees belonged to a union. Union membership peaked at 35% in the early 1950's), along with the coffers of these union. Unions would like to see the Federal Government turn a blind eye to illegal immigration in order to sign up these individuals. It would not just boost their numbers, but the dues paid would greatly enlarge their bottom line.

While union employees tend to earn more on the hour along with better benefit packages than their non-union compatriots, many companies have opted to move, be it to another state or out of the country, in order to avoid paying the higher union salaries and employment packages; thus increasing their bottom-line---even when factoring in shipping (union employees earn, on average 20% more than non-union employees). In addition, close to 35% of public employees belong to a union with teachers and librarians, trainers, those engaged in protective services having the highest overall rate of unionization. Men tend to more likely to belong to a union (based on historical employment in factories) at slightly above 11%, women still make up just over 10% of union membership. Based on race, black workers make up the greatest percentage of union members; greater than whites, Hispanics, or Asians. By age, the majority of union members are over 45 years of age and older. So those most greatly affect by the decline of union membership as a result of business relocation, closure, acquisition or passage of "At-Will" and "Right to Work" legislation tend to be older black males along with white males and females.

Before I go further, I think that I should explain "At-Will" employment since some of you may not have heard of it before or might be unclear as to what it is. At-Will means that you are hired by an employer "at will"; that is, you may be let go for pretty much any reason other than those which would violate existing federal laws such as race, religion, gender, and so forth. At the same time, you may accept, reject, or leave a job at your discretion. Therefore, employment is by mutual agreement between both parties---the employer and the potential employee. In a "Closed Shop" environment, if hired, you must join the union at that location. You have no alternative if you want the job. Membership is mandatory. However, you get the benefit of the union such as better wage and benefit package, restrictions on mandatory overtime, guidelines for promotions, terminations, and shift or job changes. You also have the benefit of having to a union steward in the event of a dispute or harassment by another employee or member of management. There are additional perks, depending on the industry and union.

Right to Work laws, which are an extension of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act which prohibited employers to hire only union employees, are similar to At-Will laws. Right to Work assumes that, like At-Will, in that you were offered and accepted an offer of employment. However, you are not required to join a union if one exists at your place of employment. In most cases, unions are still required to protect your interests even if you aren't a dues paying member. Many say this is unfair in that an employee who opted out of union membership would be entitled to union benefits since it costs the union both time and money. At the same time, Right to Work laws hurt the bargaining power of unions since it not just reduces the number of dues paying members, but in the event of a strike, it would still leave employees working. At present there are 28 Right to Work states.

Personally, if this is the wave of representation, I think it should be modified to where a non-union employee is exempt from any union benefit, including representation by a steward, salary and/or benefit negotiations, and so forth. Hiring salary should be based on industry and state average, and not necessarily what the union negotiated If, as an employee, you think you can do better without a union, great. Have at it. However, you're on your own when comes to protecting your shift, specific job, work schedule, benefits, wages, and so on. You will also have to fight your own battles--- with no shop steward or union help unless you want to pay for it.

I'm not being critical of the individual who opts out of a union. That's their right, but I don't think the union should be under any obligation to assist them in any way. By the same token, I think unions have a duty to make employees want to join a union based on what it actively does. I've seen a lot of unions which were absolutely worthless when it came to protecting or helping its employees. The only things they were good at was being the company's "bagman", rubber stamping contracts, and trying to bully employees. I think too that unions should be active and visible in the community like the old activist unions of the 30's and 40's through the late 60's and early 70's.

Lastly, unions shouldn't be a "one trick pony" and operate as the cash cow for the Democratic Party. I've personally witnessed politicians make fun of unions as "ignorant" and still get endorsed. I've seen them not use any union "bugs" on their campaign literature or support legislation which would clearly hurt unions and they still get their endorsements, along with PAC money and volunteers. I've watched politicians who've never been a union member or who have worked against unions, get endorsed. At the same time, I've seen some very pro-labor Republicans or other party, who are shop stewards, union officers, or active union members, not get a second look let along any campaign contributions or endorsements. Then you see these same union officials whine about a lack of representation. You think?

Unions need friends on both sides of the aisle; they need to reach across party lines. In fact, they need to reach outside of party lines to Independents (Indies are the largest political demographic and growing) and Libertarians or the Green Party (who are the third and fourth largest political parties respectively). Better yet, organized labor should seriously consider forming its own Labor Party. The U.S. is the only industrial nation which does not have a political party dedicated to Labor. Even many second and third world nations have a Labor Party, and who is to argue that America's two parties aren't bought and paid for by the ruling Oligarchy? We just get to pick between the red "Kool-Aide" or the blue "Kool-Aide".

So there you have it friends. That's the brief history of Labor Day and the state of organized Labor. Most of its original goals have been met; they are now federal laws, with the majority being backed up with state and local laws, regulations and ordinances. Unions have been devastated by the shift from an industrial based nation to a service based nation. Kids are encouraged by" guidance councilors", teachers, and others to go to college where many wind up with a useless degree and a lifetime of debt when they would be better off going to a trade or technical school. At least there, they earn a skill where there is a real demand---some have a critical shortage---at a fraction of the time and cost. In fact, most graduates of trade schools will earn more than their college bound classmates over their lifetime. In Europe, especially Germany, technical and trade schools are looked upon with the same respect as a four year degree. In fact, all German unions provide additional education and a work-study program complete with On-The-Job-Training (OJT). Many, if not a majority, are hired straight out of the program.

I think there is still a place for unions. In fact, I think there is still a critical need for unions. However, they have to adapt and change; something they've often failed to do. I've provided some suggestions above. I hope some union member reads this and takes it to heart. Unions have given this nation so much. Without them, there's a good chance of going backwards in terms of employee rights, job safety, wages and benefits, especially since we are now an Oligarchy whose sole interest is control, be it resources, assets, governments, or us. Happy Labor Day everyone!


Department of Labor: History of Labor Day


Bureau of Labor Statistics: Union Members Summary


50 Years of Shrinking Union Membership In One Map


Right-To-Work Laws: Myths vs. Facts

Labor Day

Labor Day! Whoopee! That wonderful day created to give everyone a three day holiday from that crappie job they secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) hate. For parents everywhere, it's the "official" start of the school year and chance for some peace and quiet, not to mention actually getting something accomplished around the house. Maybe one last cookout and pool party before closing it for the year. For kids, it supposed to mark an end to summer and one last outing to the lake or beach or some overpriced theme park. It also means only 60 more days to CanDay...err...Halloween...and...hey... that means just 120 more days to Debt Day...err...Christmas, followed shortly thereafter by Remorse Eve, also known as New Year's Eve or for some, "Amateur Night", and then we get to start all over again! For many adults, Labor Day also means the end of dieting until next January and no more trying to fit into those ever shrinking swimsuits (also known as "why-bothers"---kinda like lite beer if you think about it) and finally actually getting to eat something and covering it up with sweaters and heavy coats.

Isn't that what Labor Day is supposed to be about? Just simply another date on the calendar marking another day to buy something as part of our capitalistic "cycle of life"? You know, when we're suppose to forget about the petty and trivial meaning of the day, and instead go out and spend money we don't have for...for what exactly? Frankly I'm not sure, but I imagine Hallmark has a card for it whatever it is. But since Labor Day is at hand, let's take a look at it.

Labor Day. Well, it really isn't the last day of Summer. That's actually September 21st according to the Farmer's Almanac. And the first day of school? Well, no. For most kiddos that started about a week or two ago. And is there's really some reason why, when the temperature outside is still in the 90's and most of us are walking around in shorts and sandals, that we need to see faux autumn leaves lining store aisles amid Halloween costumes on one side and Thanksgiving decorations on the other side? I even saw a Christmas ad recently. A Christmas ad! Seriously? Anyway, I digress. Sorry. I was about to start talking about Labor Day (...Christmas...geez).
Aside from sales, Labor Day is supposed to be a day for us...ordinary working men and women. While most of the world celebrates May 1st as the "International Day of Labor", Americans, always a little different, decided that the first Monday of September would be a day celebrating the American labor movement. Labor Day itself was first promoted by the Knights of Labor and the Central Labor Union following the Haymarket Massacre, which had initially begun as a protest for an eight hour work day and in reaction of the killing of several workers the day before by the local police, in Chicago on May 4, 1886. It ended with deaths of approximately 11 individuals and the wounding of around 130 others. Then President Grover Cleveland (D-NY) vetoed the idea of an official labor holiday on May 1st (socialism was very much alive and popular), and decided to go with the day put forth by the Knights of Labor.

This was but one instance when the struggle for worker rights, including the 40 hour work week, safe working conditions, laws protecting child (child labor was especially notorious in Pennsylvania, West Virginia Kentucky, and other parts of Appalachia where kids as young as 9 routinely went to work in the coal mines), worker's compensation, holiday pay, a livable day's wages, equal rights, and so forth was still in its infancy. Labor, at the time, was strongly influenced by the concept of guilds brought over from Europe and was heavily promoted by various socialist groups, as well as political anarchists (especially among recent Irish, German, and Eastern European immigrants), women's rights and child welfare groups, and other similar human rights organizations. The core concept being that those who added value to businesses by the sweat of their brow were just as important as those who added capital; a concept that has not changed despite changes in technology. Remember, this was the era of the Robber Barons; of Carnegie, Mellon, Gould, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, and later, to Ford and other industrialist. Work could be, and often was, brutal and dangerous.

Today, we have numerous federal and state laws protecting employees, such as paying overtime, limiting hours worked, proper conduct

by employers, safe working conditions, even offshoots like food inspection, processing, and preparation, the Civil Rights Movement, Women's Equal Voting Right, safe highways and roads, pensions, and air safety. And yes, the 40 hour work week and three day holidays like Labor Day! But we're facing other forms of worker disenfranchisement such as off shoring jobs to avoid paying decent wages and/or benefits. Some companies have laid off employees or simply opted to close. Unfair wages, with CEOs making 354% more than the average employee! According to Bloomberg, CEO salaries have increased 1000% over the pay of average workers since 1950. Even burdensome "Obamacare" instead of a single payer form of healthcare like most country's have, with the costs being transferred to individuals in the form of higher premiums or indirectly by picking up the tax.

Today, we have some unions working almost hand-in-glove with companies against the very employees they're supposed to represent; insuring workers toe the company line and keep off the strike line. Union corruption, long a problem since the 1930's, remains a problem today as some union bosses attempt to control elections; making unions virtually their own fiefdoms. Many unions bosses earn just as much as their corporate counterparts, which just isn't right. We have unions pushing for amnesty for illegal immigrants. Why? Because they expect most will join easy entry low paying mostly union jobs and that will boost the revenues in the union coffers. Outside of public sector jobs, unions are virtually non-existent in the private sector; 36.8% vs. 7.6%. In fact, the majority of union members are 45 and older--9% are at least 65--and mostly male (13.4% vs. 11.4%).

Of course with the decline of unions, beginning around 1954, the middle class has declined, which should tell you that companies don't, own their own, pay decent wages. Sill, according to a August 31, 2011 Gallup Poll, 52% of Americans support unions, though a poll taken a week later indicated that 55% believed that unions would continue to become weaker. Interestingly, 48% of Democrats thought unions would become weaker while 58% of Republicans and 57% of Independents did. Not surprisingly, 78% of Democrats supported unions while only 28% of Republicans did. 52% of Independents supported unions as well. 42% of Americans would like to see unions have a lesser role, while 30% wanted a great influence and 25% was happy where it is. 69% of Republicans would like to see unions have less influence compared to 42% of Independents while on the other hand only 45% of Democrats wanted unions to have a stronger influence. Interesting, especially when one considers the overall opinions of the public's opinion of the two main political parties has continued to plummet; the majority of people are now Independents---approximately 45% (the GOP had 23% and the Democrats had 29%. However, 40% leaned Republican while 42% leaned Democrat). In fact, in a October 2013 Gallup Poll, 60% of those surveyed said we needed a third party! Astonishingly, 81% of your fellow Americans rarely or never trust the federal government according to Gallup.

So, what does this all mean? Well, it means we're all grateful for everything organized labor has done for us, but we don't appear to confident that unions can do anything else, and at the same time, we're far less confident in government and in the two political parties can produce positive changes. As a whole, we're basically liberal leaning. Perhaps what's needed is a union based political party like most democratic countries have, or even better, independent pro-labor candidates. Recently, 12 independent unions candidates won local elections in upper state Ohio; something the status quo corporate media didn't widely report. Geez, I wonder why? So, while we munch down on those hotdogs and chips and pondering the extinction of the Middle Class; our declining economic wellbeing; or the latest sale at some discounter, be sure to give a kind word of "thanks" to any union folks you know or come across while you're out shopping. Overall, Labor has proven to be Americas best bargain.


The Labor Movement
http://www.ilwu19.com/history/labor.htm

Labor Unions in the United States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States

Share of the Work Force in a Union Falls to a 97 Year Low, 11.3%
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/business/union-membership-drops-despite-job-growth.html?_r=0

Ohioans Elect Two Dozen City Councilors on Independent Labor Ticket
http://labornotes.org/2013/12/ohioans-elect-two-dozen-city-councilors-independent-labor-ticket

CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratios Around the World
http://www.aflcio.org/Corporate-Watch/Paywatch-Archive/CEO-Pay-and-You/CEO-to-Worker-Pay-Gap-in-the-United-States/Pay-Gaps-in-the-World

CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio Ballooned 1000 Percent
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/30/ceo-to-worker-pay-ratio_n_3184623.html