In 1894 Congress declared that the first Monday in September would be set aside to honor the American laborer. It is ironic that at that time there remained sweat shops, long hours with little time off and miserly wages. It took the United States a while to begin to truly appreciate American labor and for that we can thank labor unions, which finally gave working people some control over the working conditions, benefits, hours and wages. But, for the past two or three decades unions have been under attack.
Republicans have made it more difficult for workers to organize, to stand up and speak out. But, we are seeing change. We are seeing many younger people — witness Starbucks — push back and stand up for the right to unionize. This Labor Day is the time to realize there is only one party that truly celebrates and works for all those whose sweat, blood and efforts make our country work – the Democratic Party.”
|
