Today is Labor Day in the US. It’s a day set aside to celebrate the American worker and how his or her work contributes to the American economy. Sadly, the meaning of the day has faded, and now most see Labor Day as the end of summer, the start of the school season, and the cut-off for those in “high society” to wear white.
To honor those who work so hard for so little, I rest on your behalf.
To learn about past struggles of American workers, you might want to familiarize yourself with the Haymarket affair, the Pullman Strike, or the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
Today in the US, 1 out of 5 American workers earns at or below the poverty level. These are the people that are serving your lunch, stocking the shelves at the stores where you shop, and providing care for your children and your parents. Ironically, these people can’t afford many of the very services they provide.
Many (over 285,000) of our low wage workers are college graduates. The average age of the American minimum wage worker is 35.
It’s a sad state when people working for some of the biggest money-making industries in the country are struggling to get by (read one woman’s story profiled in Forbes magazine).
So while you’re out shopping the Labor Day sales, or cooking out with family and friends, take a moment to thank the American worker who made your day off possible. Many of them will be at work today.
Filed under: activism Tagged: Labor Day, politics, poverty, society, working poor 
