The real Labor Day

[mikeburetta]

` Its May 1st once again -International Labor Day, the day commemorating what happened here in the United States years ago but because of the powers that be here, is not, officially recognized here. Everywhere on the planet recognizes May day except here. If we are not going to doom ourselves to repeat history we need to learn our history remembering our roots. At one time Politics , Economics and social relations were viewed as a "Labor" issue. May day contrary to officialdom was not the creation of a soviet state, it was home grown right here in good old u s of a. Unions formed to fight the bloodshed that big business in cahoots with government had been meeting out. Pinkerton thugs routinely beat up organizers and anyone that talked about joining let alone actually join a union. Police routinely raided and broke up meetings maiming and in some instances even killing organizers.
Unions such as the I.W.W. (or as there nick name wobblies) fought the struggle for a 40 hr work week , safety, child labor, and yes even wages! Corporate management looked on labor as an expense that could be reduced in human terms as easily as a piece of equipment. The industrial revolution of Dickens england had come to america with a vengeance! With increased "productivity" brought on by mechanization there was less and less need for a skilled worker so why not hire an unskilled for less. The seeds of the race to the bottom were planted. Why hire an adult when you could stick kids in there place for less. The grimness of the situation eventually turned the tide not because it just did it on its own but rather because people-labor people, stood up! Strikes broke out.Workers knowing that they could be replaced in an instant set upon the tactic where workers rather than leave the plant sat at there machines so no one could come in and replace them-they occupied .
The idea that a youngster should go to school weather he was of money or not took hold because people demanded it of society. Society changed because we all wanted a better america than that. Laws changed. The climate of the country changed.
yet

Today some revisionist history folks would have us believe this never happened and we ought to go back to the same. That labor is the boogie man and business is just business no mater who it hurts. That the market will solve all our problems. And that if there were no speeding laws on the road everyone would drive responsibly and everything would be hunky Dorey. Well sorry I am not forgetting my history because it points me in a direction.