In a pragmatic way, Labor Day is properly referred to as Labor Day, not a holiday.

Labor day was named as it is because of the blood, sweat and tears that it is remembered for.

Labor Day is a victory celebration far removed from tiny bubbles in the wine.

By the same token Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans’ Day were not meant to be refered to as holidays either.

Those who served in the ranks may lament the thoughts of winning their identity associated with the given day of respect.

Stan, your grandmother, in my opinion, got P.O.’d and wanted retribution. You came from a good line of genes.

Bing — this is Gutman. Just an FYI that I belatedly replied to your prior column about our would-be meeting. Hope you have a chance to read it. Meanwhile, a few thoughts on Labor Day, if I may:

The real 21st century laborers are the millions of undocumented workers here who do the dirty jobs that are rejected by indigent Americans — who prefer the welfare rolls to work rolls.

Today’s illegal alien labor force is estimated at over 10 million strong and growing. They mow your lawn and trim your trees, babysit your kids, clean your house and office, etc. And its all off the books! No revenue for The Treasury there.

But fear not, as Uncle Sam and the Fed keep swiping our national credit card with more and more skyrocketing debt — to the benefit of our global competitors who no longer consider us tough competition.

If anyone needs to be unionized it’s the undocumented work force (dream on). These immigrant workers who seek to gain a foothold in the “American Dream” (or today’s economic nightmare) are often exploited and abused — even kept in indentured servitude. And what happens when they protest or speak out against such unlawful and replusive work conditions? Well, of course, their employer retaliates by turning them them over to the feds and having them deported. Some may even get shipped off to Guantanamo Bay! Hail Habeus Corpus. Well, at least they will get fed there.

Yet, interestingly enough, even without unions or labor rights, studies show the undocumented work force is a critical component of the US economy. Even Lou Dobbs employs undocumented workers despite his hypocrtical immigrant bashing! Without this underground segment of the labor force, our economy might actually even be worse off than it is!

Well, that’s okay, you say, Labor Day is for Americans, right? You mean the laid off blue collar workers whose jobs are outsourced overseas? The white collar workers who are washed away by waves of corporate downsizings and RIFs from Wall Street to Main Street? The retirees worked hard and played by the rules, yet whose promised health benefits are suddenly eliminated — even those who are not yet Medicare eligible?

What are unions doing to help them? For that matter, what is Uncle Sam doing to address the matter? Oh yea, build that fence on a few miles of the US-Mexican border while leaving hundreds of miles exposed and vulnerable. That will solve the problem.

Those unions sure ain’t what they used to be. In fact, they are going the way of the dinosaur! Someone better exhume Jimmy Hoffa again before it’s too late. Union membership and union prowess are sinking faster than the dollar against the Euro!

Union influence is a myth of the past in the private and public sectors. So don’t bother looking for the “union label” in America. You’re just as likely to find it in China, Southeast Asia or Latin America — which is to say you won’t find it at all.

But wait, didn’t unions finally persuade Congress to raise the minimum wage? Sure, but one can’t even rise above the poverty line working full time on today’s measly minimum wage salary. No wonder the urban underclass turn to drug trafficking and thug-lovin’ to earn a living. It pays better than most jobs they could get.

Where does this all leave us? In the same place we’e been for the past eight years: the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class stagnates and evaporates.

So this Labor Day, please echo that clarion call: workers of the world unite — better hurry because that pink slip is on the way…that is, assuming you still have a job!

Hey Bing, got any openings?

It’s correct to point out Labor Day began with an emphasis to protect the downtrodden. It’s a reminder of the perennial need to keep watch on this vulnerable underbelly of capitalist societies.

But management and line people both work. And here is a second dimension to the celebration of Labor Day, a reminder of the dignity of the work effort despite all the pain that goes along with it. It’s a reminder that everyone’s genuine work efforts need to be respected and, over time, acknowledged.

Your post prodded me to read a little of the late Pope John Paul II’s LABOREM EXERCENS (On Human Work; I’m not Catholic), promulgated 9/14/81 (before all the cable news and other contemporary technological accoutrements). Aside from the fundamental dignity of work that John Paul consistently emphasized during his papacy, he also said:

“We are celebrating the ninetieth anniversary of the encyclical Rerum Novarum on the eve of new developments in technological, economic and political conditions which, according to many experts, will influence the world of work and production no less than the industrial revolution of the last century. There are many factors of a general nature: the widespread introduction of automation into many spheres of production, the increase in the cost of energy and raw materials, the growing realization that the heritage of nature is limited and that it is being intolerably polluted, and the emergence on the political scene of peoples who, after centuries of subjection, are demanding their rightful place among the nations and in international decision-making. These new conditions and demands will require a reordering and adjustment of the structures of the modern economy and of the distribution of work. Unfortunately, for millions of skilled workers these changes may perhaps mean unemployment, at least for a time, or the need for retraining. They will very probably involve a reduction or a less rapid increase in material well-being for the more developed countries. But they can also bring relief and hope to the millions who today live in conditions of shameful and unworthy poverty.”

The challenges he laid out sound familiar today, don’t they? But the outcomes would have been surprising to him: Skilled workers have done far better since 1981 than he would have expected; and meanwhile, we continue to battle global poverty.

So my hopes on this Labor Day are: 1) That we use this day to remember those thrown aside in the process of growth; 2) that we honor the dignity of all those who work, whether management or line; and 3) that we keep an open mind on how work might progress in the future in this complex world of ours.

you spelled because wrong

My wife is a nurse and she will be working on Labor Day.

Sadly we have created an economy in which sleazy lawyers and idiot MBAs are highly valued, while nurses and electricians are not.

We will live to regret this.

As least we will get rid of the corporate whore, George Dubya Bush, who is not conservative and barely Republican.

The senior ranks of the great corporate insitutions are the ones paying your salary.

Why so much comtempt for someone that feeds your family?

“In a pragmatic way, Labor Day is properly referred to as Labor Day, not a holiday.

Labor day was named as it is because of the blood, sweat and
tears that it is remembered for.”

Well, Not really. It was most absolutely intended as a holiday. It was not (like your other mentioned days) not created for rememberance.

wikpedia says: The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create “a day off for the working citizens.”

Bringing us nicely back to the unions for doing a few good things fot the working class.

not me. double time and a half baby

By the way, i didn’t get fired! so all is well for me at this point. Thanks for keeping up the good work here at your blog bing!

I wish to withdraw my submission to your blog (September 6 9:02pm).
I apologize for this inconvenience. Your cooperation in removing my posting from your blog is appreciated.

Bet you’re glad you don’t have to listen to Gutman in work every day. Close one…