Labor Day is almost here, and that’s a good thing

For a lot of folks, Labor Day marks the end of summer. It's the last hurrah before trading in summer camps, lazy days by the water, and hot summer nights for the old grinds of school and work. But, for some of us, Labor Day means a lot more.

By Timothy W. Hooker

Happynews Citizen Journalist

Former Chinese Premiere Deng Xiaoping once said that feudalism replaced slavery, capitalism replaced feudalism, and socialism would replace capitalism. And, whether you agree with his politics, you have to admit that, though the labels change, the hierarchy of the herd doesn't. Though we don't call employees slaves anymore and I've not seen any workers in manacles lately, there is still a sharp distinction between those who work for their money and those whose money works for them.

And, so, Labor Day is more than hot dogs and cold beer. It is a day to honor those who have fought the good fight for economic, social, and personal freedom.

When you go on break at work, don't thank your boss. Federal law mandates that if you work six or more hours, you are entitled to a thirty minute lunch break and two fifteen minute breaks. Thank the labor movement.

The U.S. Department of Labor still protects those covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act with overtime pay. When you get paid time-and-a-half for working beyond the standard forty hour work week, thank the labor movement.

When there is a minimum amount you must be paid, thank the labor movement.

When hazardous work conditions are removed from the workplace, thank the labor movement.

When you get hurt on the job and receive Worker's Compensation, thank the labor movement.

When you don't have to worry about being fondled by your boss, thank the labor movement.

When you don't have to worry about not even getting a chance because of the color of your skin, thank the labor movement.

When your grandparents and parents and, eventually, you are able to maintain the dignity of personal independence because of a Social Security check, thank the labor movement.

When your babies don't have to go to work in the mills for eighteen hours a day, until they die from exhaustion, thank the labor movement.

Granted, there are those who would belittle the labor movement, claiming it is "outdated," "old fashioned," and "irrelevant." Those are probably the same folks who would have wanted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Lech Walesa to "wait." And, they'd probably think ideas like the Bill of Rights, the Magna Carta, and "Love one another as I have loved you" were "a little out of date."

But, the labor movement is what makes America good. The labor movement tells the single mom who is working three jobs to put her child through college that someday it is going to be worth it. The labor movement tells the hard-working man he can walk proudly into a store, with his head held high, and purchase what his family needs. The labor movement gives a worker tangible evidence that he is not just a tool of the rich, but that he is a real live child of the universe with self-worth and aspirations that matter. The labor movement tells ordinary people everywhere that they have meaning, purpose, and value.

So, go ahead. Enjoy your hot dog. But, while you're at it, say a little prayer of thanks for those who actually made it.