Labor Day a Better Appreciation
Today is Labor Day in the United States and in Canada. Midst the barbeques and parades, and relaxation, I don’t think many people know the huge struggle that ordinary people have endured and died to obtain the work benefits we enjoy today.
Most people for centuries were in some form of bondage and not free. As the feudal system evolved into the industrial revolution workers worked 7 days a week and 14 hours a day and there were no child labor laws or safety or sick leave or paid vacations.
After 300 hundred years or so of cruel and dangerous working conditions, people began to unionize and fight for better working conditions. In my home state the miners were shot by the national guard for forming picket lines. Gradually, socialism and communism espoused the case for worker rights and after two World Wars, accidents, fires and union struggles workers gained many of the rights enjoyed today.
Today in the US there is a struggle for a living wage of $16.00 as a federal law. I think the highest minimum wage is now $7.50 which also is one of the lowest in the developed countries. The eight hour work day is being eroded and many workers work 12 hour days and are not compensated for overtime. Rights are eroded till they disappear. Many rights are disappearing and many unions are also disappearing. So as we celebrate Labor Day it may god to remember that he who is not vigilant loses his rights.
This is not a pleasant subject. If you study labor history it is even more unpleasant. So as we close our celebration today, be very grateful for the good life we have known. I was the first person in my family to graduate college; all because I was born after the miners unionized and children were able to go to school. My father and many men of his generation went to work in the mines at 13 years of age. I am so happy that I was born in a more civilized time.
Many of us here have similar stories. We have had a life much better than that of our ancestors and parents and all due to the fact that many workers got benefits and a living wage. I hope we remember that labor laws and protections should be appreciated and never taken for granted.
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Senior Chatters
get the 14 hour day again, put the 12yrs out to work, all they do is sit and text and play pc all day, why not, thats how the world ran back then, how do you expect the rich to make more money, just think of those at the idle and rich get their mansions and estates, you can’t them to sit in a 2 up and down house, no they deserve those big mansions and vast estates, thank for the poor people to give the wealthy and live in a secure and accustomised life style. ban all the unions all they do is make more money for the union leaders, the lords and ladies don’t need to ruled by the unions, all they do is gripe about not having a decent wage, nah the money need more to the landed ruling upper classes, more wealth for the wealthy.
teddyted. I think you are agreeing.
For everyone that sends brickbats to the Union movement , need to take another moment to think of the improved wages and conditions in our Country , sure there might be a few militant Unions, but overall if not for Unions, our working conditions and wages would have still been in the dark ages…Men gave their lives for a fair go principle in our very small provincial City ,Ballarat in the “Eureka Rebellion “for the rights of workers , and we have those brave men to thank for the rights workers have today in our country AUSTRALIA….
Lani, we had all kinds of battles here in the USA. I wish we could just say our country wanted everybody to be free and happy as our constitution said, but it was not what happened. Maybe, the founding fathers did want to create a better world but greed took over instead.
As happens Bloom sometimes …x