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Why Honor Organized Labor?
Labor Day, to most people, is little more than the end of summer. Labor
Day commemorates the labor union movement, the demand for an eight hour
work day, better working conditions, fair wages and an end to child
labor.
In 1894 Labor Day became a federal holiday celebrated as a
"workingman's holiday" on the first Monday of September honoring the
contributions of working men and women to America.
Sep 07, 2009
Labor Day, to most people, is little more than the end of summer. Labor
Day commemorates the labor union movement, the demand for an eight hour
work day, better working conditions, fair wages and an end to child
labor.
In 1894 Labor Day became a federal holiday celebrated as a
"workingman's holiday" on the first Monday of September honoring the
contributions of working men and women to America.
While labor unions were organizing in the 1870's, small farmers,
through the Grange Movement were trying to break the power of the
railroads, the meat packers and the grain milling interests. Mary
Elizabeth Lease urged the farmers to "raise less corn and more hell",
but farmers could never unite as the labor unions had.
In the mid-1960's, farm worker organizers Cesar Chavez and Dolores
Huerta formed the United Farm Workers (UFW). When the UFW's table grape
boycott brought the plight of the farm workers onto the national stage,
Dolores Huerta connected the feminist movement and gender rights with
the farm worker movement. And why not? Women worked the fields along
side the men.
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) organized in 1925 became
the first African-American union to join the American Federation of
Labor. Many of those involved in BSCP became leaders in the civil
rights movement.
Gender equality, racial equality, fair farm prices and farm worker
rights were separate issues but all related to the struggle of the
unions for a fair wage and decent working conditions. Labor unions may
have initially been all white and all male but, that changed.
Unions were never about the individual, they were about everyone. If
one is oppressed, all are oppressed. Labor unions recognized the need
to bring everyone into the struggle regardless of color or gender,
because the struggle was about everyone.
Now, generations after the early struggles of labor unions,
corporations have done their best to de-unionize America. Exporting
jobs, closing union factories and union busting have taken their toll
on jobs, wages and the economy in general.
Whether it was exploitation from the "Robber Barron's" of the
nineteenth century, the segregationists of the Jim Crow South, the
growers who exploit migrant farm laborers, the agribusiness interests
that squeeze and impoverish small farmers or the corporate mentality
that suppresses women with a glass ceiling, the parallels are pointedly
exact.
Labor unions, suffragists, feminists, civil rights advocates, small
farmers and farm workers all struggle against the rich, the powerful
and the corporate interests who intend to control the economy and
maintain their notion of social class. The labor movement was, and
still is, a reflection of society. They challenged the idea, that power
and money are the trump card.
Everyone, owes a debt to the laborers. Those who often put their lives
on the line, for safe work places, an eight hour work day, a five day
work week, insurance, disability benefits, a fair wage, dignity and
respect for manual labor.
Labor Day is a day to celebrate the power of the worker, but no less
the social movements that evolved with and from the unions. It is also
a day to reflect on how we can do better, for everyone.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jim Goodman
Jim Goodman is a retired third-generation dairy farmer from Wonewoc, Wisconsin and a member of Family Farm Defenders.
Labor Day, to most people, is little more than the end of summer. Labor
Day commemorates the labor union movement, the demand for an eight hour
work day, better working conditions, fair wages and an end to child
labor.
In 1894 Labor Day became a federal holiday celebrated as a
"workingman's holiday" on the first Monday of September honoring the
contributions of working men and women to America.
While labor unions were organizing in the 1870's, small farmers,
through the Grange Movement were trying to break the power of the
railroads, the meat packers and the grain milling interests. Mary
Elizabeth Lease urged the farmers to "raise less corn and more hell",
but farmers could never unite as the labor unions had.
In the mid-1960's, farm worker organizers Cesar Chavez and Dolores
Huerta formed the United Farm Workers (UFW). When the UFW's table grape
boycott brought the plight of the farm workers onto the national stage,
Dolores Huerta connected the feminist movement and gender rights with
the farm worker movement. And why not? Women worked the fields along
side the men.
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) organized in 1925 became
the first African-American union to join the American Federation of
Labor. Many of those involved in BSCP became leaders in the civil
rights movement.
Gender equality, racial equality, fair farm prices and farm worker
rights were separate issues but all related to the struggle of the
unions for a fair wage and decent working conditions. Labor unions may
have initially been all white and all male but, that changed.
Unions were never about the individual, they were about everyone. If
one is oppressed, all are oppressed. Labor unions recognized the need
to bring everyone into the struggle regardless of color or gender,
because the struggle was about everyone.
Now, generations after the early struggles of labor unions,
corporations have done their best to de-unionize America. Exporting
jobs, closing union factories and union busting have taken their toll
on jobs, wages and the economy in general.
Whether it was exploitation from the "Robber Barron's" of the
nineteenth century, the segregationists of the Jim Crow South, the
growers who exploit migrant farm laborers, the agribusiness interests
that squeeze and impoverish small farmers or the corporate mentality
that suppresses women with a glass ceiling, the parallels are pointedly
exact.
Labor unions, suffragists, feminists, civil rights advocates, small
farmers and farm workers all struggle against the rich, the powerful
and the corporate interests who intend to control the economy and
maintain their notion of social class. The labor movement was, and
still is, a reflection of society. They challenged the idea, that power
and money are the trump card.
Everyone, owes a debt to the laborers. Those who often put their lives
on the line, for safe work places, an eight hour work day, a five day
work week, insurance, disability benefits, a fair wage, dignity and
respect for manual labor.
Labor Day is a day to celebrate the power of the worker, but no less
the social movements that evolved with and from the unions. It is also
a day to reflect on how we can do better, for everyone.
Jim Goodman
Jim Goodman is a retired third-generation dairy farmer from Wonewoc, Wisconsin and a member of Family Farm Defenders.
Labor Day, to most people, is little more than the end of summer. Labor
Day commemorates the labor union movement, the demand for an eight hour
work day, better working conditions, fair wages and an end to child
labor.
In 1894 Labor Day became a federal holiday celebrated as a
"workingman's holiday" on the first Monday of September honoring the
contributions of working men and women to America.
While labor unions were organizing in the 1870's, small farmers,
through the Grange Movement were trying to break the power of the
railroads, the meat packers and the grain milling interests. Mary
Elizabeth Lease urged the farmers to "raise less corn and more hell",
but farmers could never unite as the labor unions had.
In the mid-1960's, farm worker organizers Cesar Chavez and Dolores
Huerta formed the United Farm Workers (UFW). When the UFW's table grape
boycott brought the plight of the farm workers onto the national stage,
Dolores Huerta connected the feminist movement and gender rights with
the farm worker movement. And why not? Women worked the fields along
side the men.
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) organized in 1925 became
the first African-American union to join the American Federation of
Labor. Many of those involved in BSCP became leaders in the civil
rights movement.
Gender equality, racial equality, fair farm prices and farm worker
rights were separate issues but all related to the struggle of the
unions for a fair wage and decent working conditions. Labor unions may
have initially been all white and all male but, that changed.
Unions were never about the individual, they were about everyone. If
one is oppressed, all are oppressed. Labor unions recognized the need
to bring everyone into the struggle regardless of color or gender,
because the struggle was about everyone.
Now, generations after the early struggles of labor unions,
corporations have done their best to de-unionize America. Exporting
jobs, closing union factories and union busting have taken their toll
on jobs, wages and the economy in general.
Whether it was exploitation from the "Robber Barron's" of the
nineteenth century, the segregationists of the Jim Crow South, the
growers who exploit migrant farm laborers, the agribusiness interests
that squeeze and impoverish small farmers or the corporate mentality
that suppresses women with a glass ceiling, the parallels are pointedly
exact.
Labor unions, suffragists, feminists, civil rights advocates, small
farmers and farm workers all struggle against the rich, the powerful
and the corporate interests who intend to control the economy and
maintain their notion of social class. The labor movement was, and
still is, a reflection of society. They challenged the idea, that power
and money are the trump card.
Everyone, owes a debt to the laborers. Those who often put their lives
on the line, for safe work places, an eight hour work day, a five day
work week, insurance, disability benefits, a fair wage, dignity and
respect for manual labor.
Labor Day is a day to celebrate the power of the worker, but no less
the social movements that evolved with and from the unions. It is also
a day to reflect on how we can do better, for everyone.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.