Celebrate Labor Day? Why bother? What is there for labor to celebrate, really? Allow me to set the stage for my tale.

My employer (who shall remain unnamed lest I suffer massive professional consequence) performs an interesting contradiction to the daily form of interaction between management and the heavily-unionized hourly workers. Every year, a lavish banquet is hosted to honor those employees who have completed another five years of service from their original hire dates. Many spouses see this event as a free night out, and don't quite understand why their employed partners are not so eager to attend. As one such employee, I have made it my pastime to note who has swallowed hard and attended versus who can no longer find it palpable to do so. Those who stay away far outnumber those who cannot. The reasons for boycotting the bash involve not wanting to encourage hypocrisy out of one's managers which will only be quickly reversed the next day, or to subject one's self to it in the first place. One night of respectful conviviality doesn't make up for the 1000 workdays' abuse endured to qualify to attend. One night of having the guy who belittles your performance daily isn't assuaged by his quick and insincere comment of gratitude uttered through clenched teeth no matter how uncomfortable he is in doing so.

I told you that story to tell you this one. Assuming that I haven't lost you yet, it is with this emotional conundrum that I propose that it is time to change the name of the holiday formerly held in honor of labor. There really is little for labor to celebrate at the moment, while there are plenty of reasons for employers to rejoice. Therefore, I propose that the name of the holiday be officially altered to Victory Over Labor Day in honor of Rick Santelli's "real Americans," those who triumphed over an untamed continent, hostile natives, and organized labor to achieve economic greatness. The Republicans should love this, and the Blue Dogs will slavishly vote with them to approve the measure.

It wasn't always thus. Jim Goodman - a dairy farmer and activist from Wonewoc, Wisconsin - makes a good case for why history should honor labor. But lately labor might well be its own worst enemy and be deemed unworthy of celebration. AFL-CIO president John Sweeney is backtracking furiously from a position that should be stoutly defended to offset some of the many strong advantages management has to protect itself from feeble labor power. Were he to do so, Sweeney would be helping to fix a problem he himself noted last spring — that one-third of all Americans forgo medical care due to the costs — yet he isn't willing to stand up for the ability of his membership to be able to do so. More benefit costs are being dropped on the employee while the employer cuts wages to the bone (that is, of course, assuming that these members still have jobs). In addition, Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa is following Obama's example and declaring that less of a medical benefit package for his members is okay with him. That ain't how a trucker puts the hammer down, Jimmy!

Article Author: Realist

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