If you’re a reader in the United States, you’re reading this on our National Holiday: Labor Day. That means that you’re most likely enjoying a day off from work. If that is true, you should thank a Union.
To provide some history, we’re celebrating a tradition that became national within the U.S. in 1894 and was spearheaded by the trade unions and labor movements of that time, namely the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor.
(Yes, I’m paraphrasing from the Wikipedia article. It’s my day off; I’m allowed to be lazy)
In the modern day, at least here in the United States, unions are given a dichotomous and ironic standing with the citizenry. Growing up in a conservative state, you’d think I’d have been told to join and support unions. After all, the union is the organization of the working class to combat the predatory aims of the (stereotyping here) more educated management and company leaders.
Sadly, this is not the case. I’m considered by many of my fellow citizens to be a crazed liberal and I’m one of the few pro-union folks around in my area. This is because the last 20-30 years of workers have not been in unionized jobs, nor were they given education on why unions are important. They’ve also seen moments when a union can be turned against those people outside of the specific union, resulting in corrupt people who need to be fired being protected by the very rules and contracts meant to keep them from being fired for frivolous reasons.
It’s imperfect and frustrating.
For today, however, we thank the unions of the nation for providing us a day when the working class should be able to relax, enjoy their time with their families, and not be expected to break their backs for their bread.
For this union man, that means a ton of chores, playing with the kids, and eventually plunking away at the keyboard during the evening.
Happy Labor Day, readers. Stay safe out there.
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 