Our Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [and women] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among those are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
Labor is the glue that holds civilization together. It is the special bond that cements our differences as to what you can do but I cannot and vice versa. I often say that if everyone had my mechanical ineptitude we would still be living in the stone age.
Labor Day is an American federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September, that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. We've seen better labor days and worse but this too shall pass as an increasing automated world challenges workers to patiently and persistently gain new skills.
When I played baseball in high school there was no way I could make a 4 p.m. deadline and still cover my newspaper route so I had friends cover the streets where everyone had a subscription – and a problem became a solution. Before that I had sold figs, mowed lawns with an old push lawn mower, and trimmed hedges. I was one more worker in the worker parade and it felt good.
The history of labor in the United States has far too often been less than inspiring. In the latter part of the 19th century the average workday was 12 hours long as part of a seven-day week. Fresh air in factories was at a premium, bathroom breaks hardly sufficient and safety in working conditions were often to be found in discussions rather than reality. And the age of many in the workforce? Five or six!
Management had greedy control and exploited it. In a few decades the pendulum swung and labor became greedy and arrogant. Man has trouble meeting in the middle, doesn't he?
Labor unions began as early as the late 1700s. It was even then that it became obvious that altruism was not practiced on a constant and consistent basis. Therefore it took a long time and the battle for fairness and good business practice continues. Strikes and striking comments filled the air.
The first Labor Day parade took place September 5, 1882 when 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. The first workingman's holiday was established by Congress 12 years later. There still is no agreement as who the author of Labor Day really was but there is general overall agreement that both labor and management are often their own worst enemies. It is why 99% of the countries workers find their wages rising at a rate unable to sustain the paying of mortgages (10% of wage earners are 90 days behind in their mortgage payments) and death of the middle class is becoming more than an idle statement.
When everyone makes a living wage, everyone benefits. When an infinitesimal percentage gains at everyone else's expense, eventually no one gains. Ford proved this when he raised his workers’ salaries enough they could afford to buy the automobile they were making.