Are You Reflecting On This Labor Day?

In the editorial below it talks about how there are still tough times ahead for the working people in the U.S. It talks about how there is still always the push to do more with less. Less often means less jobs. Also how that although the economy has grown in the last five years incomes have stalled or gone down for all but the most wealthy.

Do more with less is the mantra across much of the modern American workplace. That reflects both technological advances that have increased productivity with computers or machinery and cutbacks made because shedding jobs is the fastest way to slash operating expenses.

The combination of the two makes for an unsettled atmosphere on this Labor Day. Michigan is among the particular places where the workforce is undergoing a wrenching transition of uncertain outcome. Thousands of manufacturing jobs have vanished, and thousands more will soon go the way of buyouts, retirement deals or outright elimination. There are no equivalent replacements on the horizon, and a serious ripple effect can be expected on the retail and service sectors.

And with the state's unemployment rate already at 7%, more than two percentage points higher than the national average, well, a day off in celebration of labor is pretty meaningless to a lot of folks who would rather be on the job, or on a job.

Link to sorce materal

So on this day if you have the day off work you might want to think of those who would rather be working.
May peace and wisdome be with us all.

Thank You, RG, for this timely thread. I enjoy your enquiring, passionate posts. And, yes, may we all have peace and wisdom in our Lives.
Apt editorial, good read.
I confess I did not feel very peaceful at times today while watching on tv the Deputy Sec of Labor talking about all the jobs created, without mentioning that many of my fellow citizens must take 2 or 3 of those jobs to survive, often without benefits. Talk of equity in houses is moot, when a homeowner must take out an interest only loan to survive owning a home. And whenever our guard and reserves come home (correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they're in the unemployment figures), hopefully their jobs will still be there. His % of min wage workers is moot, also, as making just a penny over min wage is not working for min wage.
I felt like taking that man out to the woodshed for a good whipping, if that would give him some common sense compassion...but, sigh, it wouldn't. Thankfully, enough callers phoned in to speak of how it really is for the working person these days.

Here's another thought that must be mentioned on Labor Day. Some work is cyclical and some work is not. Housework (laundry, vacuuming, etc.) is an ex of cyclical work, it is never "done" but just starts over. Fixing a car or building a house is not cyclical work, as it has an ending. So, to everyone out there engaged in cyclical work, your labor is appreciated today, too!

Timely post indeed Red. Normally Labor Day is celebrated by the American worker, however this year because of all the flack received from illegals several Unions are boycotting the normal parades citing lose of jobs along with other issues.

JSOnline

The International Brotherhood of Electrical workers is also boycotting unfortunately I could not locate that story as it was published in a Madison Paper that does not archive its stories.


Sad day for labor here this year lets hope it gets better next year.

Desert,
wow such a wonderfull responce, thanks a bunch!!
Yes when the politishens state the figuers on what is hapening in the country they are offten technecaly true although be it misleading. I feel very blessed that I have a job and that I can pay my bills and have a little bit left over afterwords. By some standards that puts me in the top eight percent of the world population. So yes I am blessed and I hope all those who want the same will be able to find it.

Originally posted by shots
Timely post indeed Red. Normally Labor Day is celebrated by the American worker, however this year because of all the flack received from illegals several Unions are boycotting the normal parades citing lose of jobs along with other issues.

Thanks for the information and your thoughts Shots. I do hope things will get better also.

Actually, I'm so white that I'm known as Reflectoman, so yes, every moment that I was outside, I was reflecting.

Seriously, though, I'm not sure that Americans ever pause to reflect regarding the reasons behind our national holidays. Maybe we would if holidays, with the exceptions of Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, weren't always on Mondays, as Labor Day has always been, thus amounting to just an extra day of the weekend.

I hope I'm wrong about that.

[edit on 2006/9/5 by GradyPhilpott]

I sometimes think that pausing to reflect upon what has passed in contrary to the American ideal: Pressing forward, always forward. While not wrong, that ideal may blind us to lessons that can be learned by pausing to reflect. In this case, the sacrifices of the millions upon millions of workers in every field of endevour, from the farmer, the rancher, to the day laborer...all have contributed to the legacy that we too are contributing to.

But if we fail to acknowledge those sacrifices, how can we learn from the lessons they have to offfer us? Failing to do so just enables us to make the same mistakes our predessors made. Sack cloth and ashes are of course optional.

The world has never seen anything like the american worker, amongst the highest paid, and highest achieving that the world has ever seen. Like it or not, American workers are the engine that powers the worlds economy...not to say there aren't other contributors to it, obviously...Japan, South Korea, Peoples Republic of China, etc...yet none of these amount to more than a small fraction of the productivity of the American worker. So for one day out of the year, let's all doff our hats and reflect on the wonder that is the American worker.

For me, Laborday is smack between Katrina and 9/11. It is the time of my birthday (08/31). ...and the begining point of non-tragedy related deaths, for me:
[Some time between Katrina and Rita, a friend died of complications of a c-section (younger than me). Grandma (dad's side) went into the hospitol, along with her son, my uncle, after Rita. Approx 4 weeks later, my uncle died (dad's side). 6 months later both my Grandma (mom's side) and another uncle (mom's side) were diagnosed with cancer. My uncle died a few weeks later. My Grandmothers and several uncles, could die any time, as of now. They are getting old, and some are very sick.]

I worked, yesterday, and tried not to think. I haven't dealt with much of this like I should have. Besides, it's time to look forward and get excited for my nephew's second birthday party, this weekend. ...and hope to God the next time my bloodwork is done it doesn't show that I'm a daibetic.

Originally posted by seagull

The world has never seen anything like the american worker, amongst the highest paid, and highest achieving that the world has ever seen. Like it or not, American workers are the engine that powers the worlds economy...not to say there aren't other contributors to it, obviously...Japan, South Korea, Peoples Republic of China, etc...yet none of these amount to more than a small fraction of the productivity of the American worker. So for one day out of the year, let's all doff our hats and reflect on the wonder that is the American worker.

Seagull
Those are all very wonderfull things you said. Thanks very much!
I have not really heard of or seen any defent statistics on which workers are more productive. Do you know of any info that shows that and how it is meashered?

I think about the men and women that serve to protect us everyday, here and abroad. People these days, especially kids, think that ball players are the heroes. The real heroes are the ones who come to get a person down out of a tree, or the paramedics and emts that tend to the sick and injured. To the officer who risks it all each day to keep us safe from the criminals.

My town had it's Labor Day Parade and festivites yesterday. The biggest draw for the kids were the firetrucks that were here. At least ten departments from two counties took part in it. Not only that Healthnet Aeromedical Services landed one of there helicopters at the ballfield where the festivities where. That was also a big draw for the kids.

There are not that many people out there like these people. So I say think of them next time year hear a siren or see an emergency vehicle and just say a little prayer for them all to return home safe.

[edit on 9/6/2006 by gimmefootball400]