Labor Day

 

It be Labor Day and for many Americans that means the end of summer vacation. It being a federal holiday explains the crowds at the beach for some rays and at the malls for the mattress sales.

The folks at the McCain campaign don’t have the day off. They’re laboring away, wondering how to make the Pregnant Palin story go away. Actually, they’re wondering how to make Palin go away.

But let’s leave that curious tale for another day and talk about the workers of America. A lot has changed since 1894 when Congress formalized the first Monday in September to recognize their contribution to our country with a day off. It was, of course, a political move, and one wonders if such a measure would make it through the Congress of today. Surely if the Dems were in control, but maybe not. What would the Republicans do? It would all come down to political considerations, of course, as does everything in politics today.

American workers were supposed to be the primary component of the great middle class. With the way that group has been squeezed so severely over the past thirty years, some held on but many have been hurt. They are working harder and making less than they used to, and even with two parents working, many families aren’t making ends meet. Many are now financially over their heads because they bought into the notion that home property values only go up. It hasn’t worked out that way. What’s gone up, dramatically, are food and fuel prices.

There are solutions. First is to take employers and insurance companies out of the health care system and to make Medicare available for every citizen. Second is to reduce the work week from five days to four; people need to invest more of their lives in their families and their communities. Third is for consumers to stop buying from companies that don’t treat their workers well; if they did that, we wouldn’t need unions.
 

Home

©2008 SetonnoteS

.