September 3, 2012 by David K. Sutton

Labor Day: A Shout Out To the Labor Movement

After Republicans spent last week (and their entire existence) demonizing labor unions and the American worker (what they call “big labor”) in favor of “big business,” on this Labor Day it’s time we recognize what the labor movement has made possible for all workers, union and non-union.

THANKS TO THE LABOR MOVEMENT

The Weekend
Overtime Pay
8-Hour Workday
Minimum Wage
Paid Vacation
Sick Days
Safety Standards
Child Labor Laws
Health Benefits
Retirement Security
Unemployment Insurance

People who take this list for granted are ignoring history, or worse, actively trying to re-write it. Every step of the way people have thought unions are no longer needed, yet it took decades, in fact a century, to get all of these worker rights, and we still aren’t done. How about guaranteed parental leave to care for a newborn child without fear of losing your job?

For everyone who argues against organized labor by saying something like: Why should they get paid more for the same work? – Ask instead: Why am I not being paid more?

credit: image and list courtesy of RepublicanDirtyTricks.com