Labor Day by Timothy Riley
This is a guest post by Timothy Riley. I must confess, that although I was aware of the history of the Labor movement, including the fact that there were those who sacrificed their very lives for the cause, I really did not fully appreciate it. Labor Day was just a long weekend with a few parades I never attended and a telethon. I quite simply did not get it. I do now, I do now. Now I know that most of the basic rights we take for granted,safe work conditions, a living wage, weekends, health insurance,retirement, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation,and so much more were all realized through the labor and union movement. As the right wing has waged its war on the unions the standard of living for all middle class Americans has declined. First they decimated the private sector unions and now they have set their sights on their public sector brethren. I have never been a member of a Union, yet I have enjoyed the fruits of their struggle against often unconscionable odds. As I have joined this new fight against seemingly unconscionable odds, I have met some of the finest, most uncommonly decent people of my life [...]
