Remember Why There Is a Labor Day

On the 5th of September in 1882, the first Labor Day parade took place in New York City and 10,000 people took an unpaid day off from work to celebrate the American workforce. More importantly, they marched for better working conditions and better treatment in the workplace. On June 28th,1894 Congress finally made it a legal national holiday.

Fast forward to 2009 and we see that the labor movement is alive, but not necessarily well as relocating jobs to right to work states, outsourcing of jobs, and global competition strain relations between management and labor. And frankly, the rest of us haven't helped either with our bigger, faster, and cheaper mindsets, a living wage is disappearing from the bargaining table for those in the industrial/manufacturing trades. As the recession lingers, other workers are becoming job insecure such as school para-professionals, home healthcare workers, and other human service workers.

While unions continue to have Labor Day picnics and politicians come calling for their support, many of the rest of us enjoy a day of leisure. The struggles for the working person have not lessened over the years and, as the health care reform issue shows, we have a long way to go to ensure that conditions for all people improve, both in the workplace and in the world.

My Dad, who was a union printer who moved on to white-collar labor only to find in his mid-70's that he needed to continue to work. Part of it is his spirit and desire to contribute, but the other is cost of living. I'm sure he is working today at Home Depot, as he has for the last few years. When he suffered a hernia on the job it wasn't the Home Depot that paid for his health care, it was Medicare--something the unions supported. While he was on the mend, used his vacation days and sick leave to recover, thanks to the effort of unions. I'm sure the store will be busy with people fixing up their homes and taking advantage of the three day weekend--again thanks to the unions. Labor helped to create safe conditions, better wages and compassion for others.

Blogger and writer Anthony Del Pellegrino wrote "But there is another side of Labor Day that is also celebrated. It is the side that rejoices in the dignity of labor. Labor affords one a sense of purpose, as well as the opportunity to rejoice in the fruits of their labors. It is a driving force that does more than just keep an economy strong, it keeps ones soul strong."

So let's rejoice in our labors and those who fought to make things better for future generations. Let's also remember that those who do not remember the lessons of history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history.

California's Solis to Head Labor Department

Barack Obama announced U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis as his choice for Labor Secretary. Solis is a five term Congresswoman from California and has a strong labor record and is a proponent of green jobs. Solis has one of the strongest pro-worker voting records in Congress and is a sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Her legislative accomplishments include spearheading a bill to provide workforce training for “green-collar” employment. Such initiatives are a hallmark of Obama’s plan to address the country’s energy needs and create new jobs. Solis, in 1994, was the first Latina elected to the California Senate, where she led the battle to increase the state's minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour in 1996.

Maybe she'll help tackle a national living wage.

Will Work for Living Wage

A victory for Living Wage advocates in Maryland:

Last week, as the 2007 session of the General Assembly was in its usual 11th-hour mode, the House passed a statewide "living wage" bill. This bill requires private businesses who land contracts with the state to pay employees a new living wage set by the legislation. As the General Assembly was about to close up shop for this session, the Senate followed suit, and approved the bill. Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to sign it into law.

A similar living wage bill was passed in 2004, but then-Gov. Robert Ehrlich vetoed the measure. One of Ehrlich's reasons for nixing the previous attempt was that it called for a statewide wage, ignoring the difference in the cost of living in different areas of the state. The rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Montgomery County is higher than the rent for an identical apartment in Garrett County, it was argued, and paying an identical statewide wage would, in practical terms, mean that some workers were being paid more than others.

The current bill creates a two-tiered living wage scale to address the issue of cost of living variances. Ironically, though not surprisingly, it is being labeled inequitable by those representing rural areas, where the minimum wage will be $8.50 and hour as opposed to the $11.30 an hour that will be paid in the urban areas where the cost of living is higher. More

This year Maryland, next year Iowa?