News Break, Labor Strong, Next Gen, & On the Light Side

Say Thanks!

Some days, work may seem like a four letter word. You face another work day (or days) with a project list that even with the help of AI can never be completed by the deadline. Lunch is a power bar from your emergency stash and 4th cup of coffee – it could be the 5th but there is no time to count. You smile and say, “but of course” when your manager asks if you can finish a new assignment by the end of the week, all the while wanting to say,“I quit.” Work seems like pure misery but you somehow to make it to the weekend.

The weekend was not always a part of American work life. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? The modern weekend is the result of union strikes in the early 20th century which led to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) of 1938. The FLSA provides worker protections like the 40-hour workweek and limits on daily work hours. There are so many other current workplace “norms” that are the result of organized labors’ hard fought battles, such as employer-sponsored healthcare insurance, retirement, health and safety standards.

This weekend’s Labor Day holiday was established to celebrate and honor the American labor movement and its economic and social justice accomplishments. It’s also a time to remember that some of the organized labors’ hard fought achievements are currently under attack and at risk of being eroded or eliminated. These attacks on child labor protections, workers’ rights, wages and benefits, if successful, will reverse decades of progress and prove detrimental for years to come. Organized labor will continue to fight these attacks!

So before you fire up the grill or head to the lake, let’s give a special thank you to the union members today and in the past for all of their work to better the lives of Americans. I will certainly be remembering my dad, a proud member of Asbestos Workers Local 25!

Happy Reading!

Suzanne Daniels