"Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society." - John Lewis
The 8 hour workday and 40 hour workweek aren’t possible for those earning minimum wage in this country. Single parents often work two or three jobs, just to meet minimum standards of life, housing , groceries, clothing, and transportation. It is getting worse as inflation rises, and medical care often goes by the wayside because employers are not providing health insurance to those who don’t work full time. It’s a disgrace that the wealthiest country in the world has so many living below the poverty line. The regime doesn’t have any interest in improving the lives of the poor; they are only providing tax cuts for the wealthy, who, obviously don’t need an increase in their income. We must elect those who will raise the minimum wage to a point where the standard of living can be applied to all who work a full time job.
Excellent and timely reminder of the struggles of working people. It’s difficult to fathom the physical and emotional toll a full day’s work demands unless one experiences it, day after day, month after month, year after year. Our country was built upon the strength of these workers and to this day we survive and thrive because of them. The very least we owe them is a living wage. A banner glorifying someone whose actions reflect contempt for them is a disgrace.
As another child of the Windy City my introduction to labor history was Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, a book I still recommend to anyone visiting the city.
It amazes me that many, often GOP or libertarians, think that manufacturing is 'inherently' a good job or a good paying job.
They seem unaware of some of the history you point out here, as you mention the 100 hour workweek.
Historically, these jobs were also often done in dangerous conditions and for very low pay.
It was not until unions and labor laws came along that some of these jobs gradually became coveted.
So, when they say they want to bring manufacturing back because they say it pays well, then why are they often opposed to unionization?
Without unions you are bringing home jobs that would likely be low paying except for some that are now highly automated, since more of these jobs require some new skills and training, but also due to automation, they also often employ far fewer workers than in the past.
Do we really want to bring home industries that could end up low pay, and even if we did, who would even work there if they are not highly automated, as we are now at full employment?
In contrast, service sector jobs are non-exportable and if we want to recapture the good blue collar wage and middle class life of post WWII, many more of them could simply be unionized, as well, so why is there so much less acceptance of that?
In my view, it is because these jobs are dominated by women and we, as a culture, still do not truly value the hard work of women, we simply expect it, but in reality, why should someone working retail or in a hotel or as a waitress, make less than someone standing on an assembly line? It is all labor and it is all hard work.
The truth is our perceptions as a culture are still shaped by "who" dominates those jobs and whether it is or was traditionally more often males or females.
Also, if we raise the min wage, this would add more to payroll taxes and help a bit to shore up SS and Medicare as well as reduce the number of people who qualify for means tested programs. Thus, more revenue and less spending = reduced deficits.
You also get the added benefit of it morally being the right thing to do.
As someone who focused on production and operations management, I can tell you that changes in the min wage are not as impactful on prices as people think since min wage labor, and even labor in general, can often be only a small fraction of what goes into the cost of goods sold. So, that excuse of large price increases for not raising the minimum is also 100% a myth and a lie.
In addition, a Nobel was recently awarded to economists who did real life studies that showed raising the minimum wage also did NOT decrease jobs compared to neighboring towns. In fact, more businesses moved in to take advantage of the increased spending power of these consumers and durable goods purchases also increased.
Our economy is bottom up, not top down. It is driven by my demand. Those at the lower end of the income scale spend every single penny they get right back into the economy.
They, the workers, are our economic engine, not the wealthy,
No business produces or spends money to grow or hire more people without projecting an increase in demand for their product or service (except when taxes are high as a tax avoidance strategy).
Thus, the GOP have it all 100% backwards.
Cutting taxes at the top does not increase GDP growth. In fact, when there are periods of low taxes at the top without an increase in demand, businesses tend to become leaner and focus on increasing profit, not growth.
Growth was much higher under Clinton than under Bush or Trump who both saw little change in growth that remained at or below average after their massive tax cuts that exploded deficits and debt and Reagan simply benefited from Federal Reserve easing on interest rates after very high rates finally came down after a very long time. Had it been Reagan's tax cuts at the top that had caused growth under Reagan, Bush and Trump would have been able to replicate this. They got squat, just massive deficits and debt.
In contrast, during Biden's short lived Child Tax Credit expansion that Manchin and the GOP axed, GDP growth reached a massive 7% in Q4 of 2021 and nominal GDP was so large that the debt/GDP ratio fell. That is the power of demand from the bottom who spend what they get when they are able to have enough to live on.
The GOP seem clueless about economics, but sadly, they have been good at selling the tax cut myth for decades now and now our deficits and debt are massive. (At 2.8% less revenue to GDP than under Clinton, that is over 800 billion a year added to deficits and debt from less revenue to GDP).
Also, good luck pointing out this reality even to the press who have also often bought into the tax cut nonsense because they were often not business or economics majors and too often simply latch onto what is now an accepted old wives' tale about tax cuts.
The worker and those at the bottom too often get ignored and they are the key.
Whether you increase their pay or develop other ways for them to thrive and get by like better safety net programs and food stamps and help with child care or like Biden more help with things like the CTC, it all matters and it helps our entire nation prosper, as well.
It is the worker that is the key to our prosperity. It is most of us. Not the wealthy few.
Your Haymarket synopsis brings back memories of a senior high school class on Constitution and labor - Haymarket was front and center. My father died in 1948 when I was 4. He was 4F due to major health problems but worked at the Admiral plant, converted to the war effort. He was not allowed to talk about WHAT they were making but it was a labor job and my family has spoken of how great the employees were treated - even before some of later labor laws were in place. I'm sure, in part, that had to do with why and what they were making. They were doing their part for freedom. And, now Laborers, Fed Employees and others are struggling again. We have ole Bone Spurs to thank; he would not begin to know what a fight for freedom & jobs is, only trying to turn America into an authoritarian despotic autocracy. Thank to JB and Chi mayor it may not happen in IL.. Hope this all ties together.
Henry Ford's support for a 40-hour work week had as much to do with giving workers time and money to buy cars than it did leisure. It made sense. Today, we are rapidly approaching tech-dominance, where coders and producers slave away at all hours, hoping for six figure (or more) paychecks. Soon we will have AI replacing vast swaths of the American workforce, including white collar jobs. Labor day will seem anachronistic, a quaint tip of the hat to workers who labored with their hands, now jobs handled by robots. Until Big Tech is regulated and made accountable, the workforce of the country will be massively displaced and the economy with it. Just sayin'. Today I will eat ribs and watermelon and feel gratitude for those who came before us in the fight for human rights and dignity. Thank you, Labor. We owe you.
Ford’s reasoning also considered reducing turnover while competing for workers in the labor market. At that point, Ford came to realize the 48 hour workweek was not yielding enough additional productivity compared to 40 hours to offset the downside.
When times are tough, that’s when the labor movement grows.
Presenting the history, the historical perspective, highlights that the struggle has been a long one & continues today. For years, I went to Labor Day Picnics in NH & VT where hopeful candidates for various offices would present themselves & pitch to be considered in coming elections, while kids played & everyone munched hot dogs. Labor folks & candidates would be there with bumper stickers, pins & other advertisements They were family affairs.
I agree AVee, I was born in the 1950’s and am ashamed to say I would usually glance over history about Labor Day. This article explains more than I ever knew, even as it is a summary of sorts, I realize how much goes into having a Labor Day in today’s US.
.Thanks for the remembrance of how Labor Day got its start. It happened much like everything else here did, through pain, struggle, strife, and death over a great length of time. It usually was preceded by a great tragedy. I guess it took a tragedy to catch the attention and imagination of the population.
Thank You Steven ... I grew up in a union family .. We all understood the importance of collective bargaining . My grandfather was a charter member of local 8 the roofers and waterproofers union in NYC .. it wasn't an easy accomplishment .. I feel sad when I see all the starbucks workers and other places without collective bargaining .. Reagan went a long way to breaking the unions. It started with the Air traffic controllers. Then the campaign to blame the auto workers for the failures of the companies to see what consumers wanted. No one wated the gas guzzlers anymore but they kept making them . They said it was the workers benefits that was killing the companies. Now numb nuts has a huge billboard poster of himself hanging off the department of labor building .. We need a work stoppage across the country and a consumer stoppage across the county ..Yes some people will need to do both but enough of us can stop and make a differnece ..lost in america.
A good , integral ,ethical , moral corporation, corporate environment, and management all appreciate their workers.
They have respect and value their workers . They treat them with respect. They understand they are the reason the corporations are successful.
They acknowledge their importance in their organizations. They provide good wages, good benefits, and have good relationships with their workers and goodwill. Treating workers like this is what makes a company productive.
They understand their employees are their greatest assets.
They do not devalue them. They do not treat them as objects, easily replaceable.
They have empathy and compassion and understand what goes on in life and what people need to live decent lives
They do not abuse and take their workers for granted.
They do not fight to give the workers as little as possible to line their pockets with more profit .
A good corporation and company environment and management has a mutual relationship with their workers of respect
The decades of corporate greed have abused so many.
A personal note: After WWII, my dad was asked by the AFL-CIO to move to Spokane, WA to set up and run an office for members of the union. He did and so I was born there. One of my uncles worked as an iron worker and another as a welder. Sometimes my dad drove members to job sites when they had no other transportation. Since those days, unions have always been part of discussions in our house and I have always been a fan.
✌️
"Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society." - John Lewis
The 8 hour workday and 40 hour workweek aren’t possible for those earning minimum wage in this country. Single parents often work two or three jobs, just to meet minimum standards of life, housing , groceries, clothing, and transportation. It is getting worse as inflation rises, and medical care often goes by the wayside because employers are not providing health insurance to those who don’t work full time. It’s a disgrace that the wealthiest country in the world has so many living below the poverty line. The regime doesn’t have any interest in improving the lives of the poor; they are only providing tax cuts for the wealthy, who, obviously don’t need an increase in their income. We must elect those who will raise the minimum wage to a point where the standard of living can be applied to all who work a full time job.
Thank you Steven. Don’t know how you manage to encapsulate history and current events so perfectly.
And thank you Labor and the Labor Movement. Our “ work” on the movement is sure cut out for us with this regime.
Thank you, Helen. I think the answer is practice, practice, practice.
Excellent and timely reminder of the struggles of working people. It’s difficult to fathom the physical and emotional toll a full day’s work demands unless one experiences it, day after day, month after month, year after year. Our country was built upon the strength of these workers and to this day we survive and thrive because of them. The very least we owe them is a living wage. A banner glorifying someone whose actions reflect contempt for them is a disgrace.
As another child of the Windy City my introduction to labor history was Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, a book I still recommend to anyone visiting the city.
I often share excerpts of The Jungle with students as a powerful example of narrative that drives change.
It amazes me that many, often GOP or libertarians, think that manufacturing is 'inherently' a good job or a good paying job.
They seem unaware of some of the history you point out here, as you mention the 100 hour workweek.
Historically, these jobs were also often done in dangerous conditions and for very low pay.
It was not until unions and labor laws came along that some of these jobs gradually became coveted.
So, when they say they want to bring manufacturing back because they say it pays well, then why are they often opposed to unionization?
Without unions you are bringing home jobs that would likely be low paying except for some that are now highly automated, since more of these jobs require some new skills and training, but also due to automation, they also often employ far fewer workers than in the past.
Do we really want to bring home industries that could end up low pay, and even if we did, who would even work there if they are not highly automated, as we are now at full employment?
In contrast, service sector jobs are non-exportable and if we want to recapture the good blue collar wage and middle class life of post WWII, many more of them could simply be unionized, as well, so why is there so much less acceptance of that?
In my view, it is because these jobs are dominated by women and we, as a culture, still do not truly value the hard work of women, we simply expect it, but in reality, why should someone working retail or in a hotel or as a waitress, make less than someone standing on an assembly line? It is all labor and it is all hard work.
The truth is our perceptions as a culture are still shaped by "who" dominates those jobs and whether it is or was traditionally more often males or females.
Also, if we raise the min wage, this would add more to payroll taxes and help a bit to shore up SS and Medicare as well as reduce the number of people who qualify for means tested programs. Thus, more revenue and less spending = reduced deficits.
You also get the added benefit of it morally being the right thing to do.
As someone who focused on production and operations management, I can tell you that changes in the min wage are not as impactful on prices as people think since min wage labor, and even labor in general, can often be only a small fraction of what goes into the cost of goods sold. So, that excuse of large price increases for not raising the minimum is also 100% a myth and a lie.
In addition, a Nobel was recently awarded to economists who did real life studies that showed raising the minimum wage also did NOT decrease jobs compared to neighboring towns. In fact, more businesses moved in to take advantage of the increased spending power of these consumers and durable goods purchases also increased.
Our economy is bottom up, not top down. It is driven by my demand. Those at the lower end of the income scale spend every single penny they get right back into the economy.
They, the workers, are our economic engine, not the wealthy,
No business produces or spends money to grow or hire more people without projecting an increase in demand for their product or service (except when taxes are high as a tax avoidance strategy).
Thus, the GOP have it all 100% backwards.
Cutting taxes at the top does not increase GDP growth. In fact, when there are periods of low taxes at the top without an increase in demand, businesses tend to become leaner and focus on increasing profit, not growth.
Growth was much higher under Clinton than under Bush or Trump who both saw little change in growth that remained at or below average after their massive tax cuts that exploded deficits and debt and Reagan simply benefited from Federal Reserve easing on interest rates after very high rates finally came down after a very long time. Had it been Reagan's tax cuts at the top that had caused growth under Reagan, Bush and Trump would have been able to replicate this. They got squat, just massive deficits and debt.
In contrast, during Biden's short lived Child Tax Credit expansion that Manchin and the GOP axed, GDP growth reached a massive 7% in Q4 of 2021 and nominal GDP was so large that the debt/GDP ratio fell. That is the power of demand from the bottom who spend what they get when they are able to have enough to live on.
The GOP seem clueless about economics, but sadly, they have been good at selling the tax cut myth for decades now and now our deficits and debt are massive. (At 2.8% less revenue to GDP than under Clinton, that is over 800 billion a year added to deficits and debt from less revenue to GDP).
Also, good luck pointing out this reality even to the press who have also often bought into the tax cut nonsense because they were often not business or economics majors and too often simply latch onto what is now an accepted old wives' tale about tax cuts.
The worker and those at the bottom too often get ignored and they are the key.
Whether you increase their pay or develop other ways for them to thrive and get by like better safety net programs and food stamps and help with child care or like Biden more help with things like the CTC, it all matters and it helps our entire nation prosper, as well.
It is the worker that is the key to our prosperity. It is most of us. Not the wealthy few.
They deserve far-far more.
Your Haymarket synopsis brings back memories of a senior high school class on Constitution and labor - Haymarket was front and center. My father died in 1948 when I was 4. He was 4F due to major health problems but worked at the Admiral plant, converted to the war effort. He was not allowed to talk about WHAT they were making but it was a labor job and my family has spoken of how great the employees were treated - even before some of later labor laws were in place. I'm sure, in part, that had to do with why and what they were making. They were doing their part for freedom. And, now Laborers, Fed Employees and others are struggling again. We have ole Bone Spurs to thank; he would not begin to know what a fight for freedom & jobs is, only trying to turn America into an authoritarian despotic autocracy. Thank to JB and Chi mayor it may not happen in IL.. Hope this all ties together.
Henry Ford's support for a 40-hour work week had as much to do with giving workers time and money to buy cars than it did leisure. It made sense. Today, we are rapidly approaching tech-dominance, where coders and producers slave away at all hours, hoping for six figure (or more) paychecks. Soon we will have AI replacing vast swaths of the American workforce, including white collar jobs. Labor day will seem anachronistic, a quaint tip of the hat to workers who labored with their hands, now jobs handled by robots. Until Big Tech is regulated and made accountable, the workforce of the country will be massively displaced and the economy with it. Just sayin'. Today I will eat ribs and watermelon and feel gratitude for those who came before us in the fight for human rights and dignity. Thank you, Labor. We owe you.
Ford’s reasoning also considered reducing turnover while competing for workers in the labor market. At that point, Ford came to realize the 48 hour workweek was not yielding enough additional productivity compared to 40 hours to offset the downside.
When times are tough, that’s when the labor movement grows.
Presenting the history, the historical perspective, highlights that the struggle has been a long one & continues today. For years, I went to Labor Day Picnics in NH & VT where hopeful candidates for various offices would present themselves & pitch to be considered in coming elections, while kids played & everyone munched hot dogs. Labor folks & candidates would be there with bumper stickers, pins & other advertisements They were family affairs.
This is very interesting and it’s helpful to understand the history.
Thank you
💙🇺🇸💙
I agree AVee, I was born in the 1950’s and am ashamed to say I would usually glance over history about Labor Day. This article explains more than I ever knew, even as it is a summary of sorts, I realize how much goes into having a Labor Day in today’s US.
.Thanks for the remembrance of how Labor Day got its start. It happened much like everything else here did, through pain, struggle, strife, and death over a great length of time. It usually was preceded by a great tragedy. I guess it took a tragedy to catch the attention and imagination of the population.
Thank You Steven ... I grew up in a union family .. We all understood the importance of collective bargaining . My grandfather was a charter member of local 8 the roofers and waterproofers union in NYC .. it wasn't an easy accomplishment .. I feel sad when I see all the starbucks workers and other places without collective bargaining .. Reagan went a long way to breaking the unions. It started with the Air traffic controllers. Then the campaign to blame the auto workers for the failures of the companies to see what consumers wanted. No one wated the gas guzzlers anymore but they kept making them . They said it was the workers benefits that was killing the companies. Now numb nuts has a huge billboard poster of himself hanging off the department of labor building .. We need a work stoppage across the country and a consumer stoppage across the county ..Yes some people will need to do both but enough of us can stop and make a differnece ..lost in america.
There should be no conflict with workers.
A good , integral ,ethical , moral corporation, corporate environment, and management all appreciate their workers.
They have respect and value their workers . They treat them with respect. They understand they are the reason the corporations are successful.
They acknowledge their importance in their organizations. They provide good wages, good benefits, and have good relationships with their workers and goodwill. Treating workers like this is what makes a company productive.
They understand their employees are their greatest assets.
They do not devalue them. They do not treat them as objects, easily replaceable.
They have empathy and compassion and understand what goes on in life and what people need to live decent lives
They do not abuse and take their workers for granted.
They do not fight to give the workers as little as possible to line their pockets with more profit .
A good corporation and company environment and management has a mutual relationship with their workers of respect
The decades of corporate greed have abused so many.
A personal note: After WWII, my dad was asked by the AFL-CIO to move to Spokane, WA to set up and run an office for members of the union. He did and so I was born there. One of my uncles worked as an iron worker and another as a welder. Sometimes my dad drove members to job sites when they had no other transportation. Since those days, unions have always been part of discussions in our house and I have always been a fan.
A proud tradition.
Terrific! Forwarded to several “doubting Thomases”- hope they listen!!!!!
Thank you for this. These kinds of reminders are very important.