My grandfather was an elevator mechanic. He started working as a union member in 1915-16, with no 40 hour work week, no 8 hour day, no overtime pay, few paid holidays, no paid vacation, no health insurance, no pension. He retired in 1955 with all of those (except a pension, but was awarded one a few years later in a subsequent contract). All of those became the norms for the Baby Boomers. However, some are slipping away as union membership continues to decline: the defined benefit pension is disappearing in the private workplace, and even matched 401Ks are fading; overtime rules are being circumvented by naming workers “supervisors,” then working them long hours at low pay; health insurance coverage has declined and become more expensive; maximum earned vacation hours are capped; workplace safety standards are weakened and poorly enforced. I worked for that same union, later moving into management, thus seeing both sides of labor negotiations. Today, in retirement, I value the whole union movement and the benefits those early workers brought to the country, and I am thankful that the Biden administration has been working to reverse the 40 year attack on workers initiated during the Reagan years.
It is hard to comprehend why the union movement has weakened so much. After I was drafted in the Army, I went to work for the Retail Clerks International Union as a lawyer in 1964. The union movement was flourishing and virtually every local union had an organizing department to expand local membership and dues collection. Of course all Republicans who were workers were opposed to union membership, that is until they saw their hourly wage rate go up as a result of collective bargaining. I also represented a local meat cutters union which represented workers in a terrible slaughterhouse. When the new contract that we had negotiated came up for membership approval, the president of the local union offered to fight anyone in the room who demanded that the negotiated contract be defeated because the new wages weren’t enough. He had no takers. But union membership was a badge of honor! Where did it go?
Among the accomplishments of the labor movement are the restrictions and controls over child labor. Yet as we celebrate this holiday there are Repub controlled states that are eliminating restrictions on child employment, in particular allowing limits on age, hazards and hours of employment for children.
They are doing this primarily so that young immigrant children can be exploited in meat packing, farming and other hazardous jobs.
We must fight these terrible policies and protect children from exploitation and danger. We need federal laws that stop states from allowing the exploitation of the young.
We have gone backwards in so many ways. With “essential” workers bearing the brunt of it. The average wage worker (read: hourly) cannot afford a house in much of the country, nor the rent for a two bedroom apartment. How is that progress? This is the reality for far too many of our neighbors and has given rise to the grifting populism that we are battling.
At the end oblast week, as I checked out at the grocery store I thanked the csh register person, for being an essential worker during the early months of the pandemic; and I asked if he would have any days off this weekend. He really appreciated the comment about being essential, as he said that many people have forgotten how essential grocery people were and the risks they took so that all of us would have something to eat. He said he had 2 days off during this 3-day weekend, which was the best he could hope for in his line of work. I think not enough people who are really essential workers in our lives are recognized for the sacrifices they make, the extra energy they give, the additional time they devote to their jobs so that our lives will be better. So much of this concern for fair work practices comes from the Bible, where it says that you cannot withhold a person's wages overnight because that person might need those wages that day to feed his/her own family. Thank you to all of the workers who give of themselves to make our lives better. I vow to continue to be sure that fair labor practices will be prt of your lives. God Bless America 🇺🇸
I was a nurse for 38 years; about 4 of those years were non-unionized. One of those jobs was great; we were paid well, generous vacation and time off; the other not so much. I would never have been able to stay in my profession without a union fighting for pay, benefits, retirement etc. I would not be sitting here reading Substack if I had not had that benefit and would still be working. I remember Labor Day picnics here in California and in Chicago. No billionaire gets there alone. They make their money on the backs of those who don’t make even 1% of their pay.
My son worked (briefly) for a company that got around paying for overtime. In our state, overtime is for more than 40 hours per week, not more than 8 hours per day. It may be that way in other states. So this place would make the workers leave early for the first 4 days, then work them wor 10 hours on the 5th. That way they didn't work more than 40 hours, and weren't paid any overtime. I think the law should be changed so working more than 8 hours per day qualifies for overtime pay. I also think overtime pay should apply to salaried workers.
Off hand, I’m not aware of states that mandate 8/hr days. There are union contracts with provisions for increased hourly rate after 8 or more hours. Long hours is a big safety issue for workers too ex: building trades & healthcare workers.
The petty cheapness reminded me of a job I took to learn how to use computers many moons ago. A small well-established business. The owner was a former Lt. Gov. I knew their pay was minimal. (I got an extra 10 cents/hour above MW because I had a couple yrs of college.) They arranged our hours so that we did not work 4 straight hours. That way we were not entitled to breaks. 3.75 hrs in the morning. Lunch. 3.75 hrs in the afternoon. (Us ladies were constantly informed that the board - men - were concerned we used too much toilet paper.)
At Christmas we got a big tin of Boy Scouts popcorn. A co-worker explained it would be a 2fer deduction: donation to the Boy Scouts and an employee ‘gift.’ 🤦♀️ The container was nice.
True as far as it goes. Workers were fortunate he adopted a recommendation from his brother for the 40 hour week. However, Henry Ford was very much a creature who believed in “class.”
The truth about Henry Ford is more complicated and not as lovely as painted. As might be expected, he was a micromanager of his employees. That also extended into their personal lives.
Characteristics he believed were undeserving or undesirable disqualified workers from the extra pay. Women earned less and if married were first to be fired. When more Black people entered the workforce he viewed them as inferior. His view of Jewish people was deplorable and his hatred for unions is legendary.
“Technically, workers’ pay remained less than or near $2.50 a day, and the extra money was a bonus they had to earn. The year Ford introduced the bonus, he established a company Sociological Department that sent inspectors to the homes of his employees”
As someone born and raised in MI, I grew up steeped in all things auto, all the time. I know that even the most ruthless capitalist can do something beneficial to others in pursuit of profit. I think of his support for the 40 hour week as proof that it is good business and good for workers/families. His name jumped out at me. It seems as though the legend floats above mere mortals as a manufacturing hero, untethered by his other qualities.
I was also going to say something about Ford. He definitely was a man not to be admired. He loved Hitler and provided him with vans and trucks. The vans were used as gas chambers to murder Jews and gypsies. My grandparents were with 9 others at the gas camp called Chelmno. They were in a van.
My grandfather was a bricklayer. We would often go to the bricklayers picnic by train out of Cleveland, Ohio, and all day picnic for the children and grandchildren of bricklayers. I don’t remember details I remember the train food, balloons, ice cream Popsicles. We always participated but as kids it was nothing but a fun day- not political.
Here is a paragraph from Teddy Roosevelt’s address on Labor Day in NY state - from Steve Schmidt’s column:
In the history of mankind many republics have risen, have flourished for a less or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state; and in no way has this loss of power been so often and so clearly shown as in the tendency to turn the government into a government primarily for the benefit of one class instead of a government for the benefit of the people as a whole. Again and again in the republics of ancient Greece, in those of medieval Italy and medieval Flanders, this tendency was shown, and wherever the tendency became a habit it invariably and inevitably proved fatal to the state. In the final result, it mattered not one whit whether the movement was in favor of one class or of another.
Just as companies fight against paying salaried employees for work over 40 hours, they also only hire part time workers so they do not have to give them any benefits. They don't even have to give them pay to live on , for they cut the numbers of hours assigned in shifts, hire new people at lower pay than those employed longer who have gotten some pay raises. Few owners, CEOs are sympathetic to worker needs as Ben & Jerry.
A good understanding of unions comes from researching those of educators. In short, during the 30s depression years, communists put forward policies calling for decent teacher pay, rights, duties, all of which sounded good to those in the profession. (My father got his BA in 1930 and felt fortunate to find employment at $400/year.) Many joined or agreed, leading to FBI investigations. The movement dwindled as Stalin's true nature became known. This all set the stage for the loyalty oaths required of teachers in the 50s, McCarthy era. To keep his job, my dad had to pledge that he was not nor ever had been a communist.
Today, the National Education Assoc is the largest professional union in the nation. The American Federation of Teachers represents 1.72 working professionals. Members have been Einstein, Weisel, McCourt (Angela's Ashes), Bunche, Mansfield. Its nemesis is Florida, hoping to decertify FL teacher unions; FL law requires that 60% of members pay dues. They don't.Tenure is not guaranteed if found incompetent. We know Republicans say teachers are indoctrinating liberal views. They, of course, wish to do the opposite. Thus are books banned, as are sex topics, the true history of slavery , and school boards and those in power agree with these policies. Rubio calls the schools a cesspool of Marxist indoctrination." 25 states have imitated Florida. Teachers fear for their jobs, even criminal prosecution.
The representative unions should gear up and fight for school freedom to learn, to stop fear among profs at universities and public school teachers of getting fired. They should loudly call for aid and improvement in public schools and against advocating for private/charter schools to receive so much of the tax payers' money. These Republican politicians are using our young to advance their fascist tactics. But in Florida, it is students who are protesting, unrepresented by anyone.
As an aside,not much to do with subject at hand, but a cute story - when quite little, my daughter saw girls circling a May pole, wreaths of flowers on their heads. So she picked a big bouquet of little wild violets and on her own, presented them to our nice neighbor lady on May Day. ; )
My grandfather was an elevator mechanic. He started working as a union member in 1915-16, with no 40 hour work week, no 8 hour day, no overtime pay, few paid holidays, no paid vacation, no health insurance, no pension. He retired in 1955 with all of those (except a pension, but was awarded one a few years later in a subsequent contract). All of those became the norms for the Baby Boomers. However, some are slipping away as union membership continues to decline: the defined benefit pension is disappearing in the private workplace, and even matched 401Ks are fading; overtime rules are being circumvented by naming workers “supervisors,” then working them long hours at low pay; health insurance coverage has declined and become more expensive; maximum earned vacation hours are capped; workplace safety standards are weakened and poorly enforced. I worked for that same union, later moving into management, thus seeing both sides of labor negotiations. Today, in retirement, I value the whole union movement and the benefits those early workers brought to the country, and I am thankful that the Biden administration has been working to reverse the 40 year attack on workers initiated during the Reagan years.
It is hard to comprehend why the union movement has weakened so much. After I was drafted in the Army, I went to work for the Retail Clerks International Union as a lawyer in 1964. The union movement was flourishing and virtually every local union had an organizing department to expand local membership and dues collection. Of course all Republicans who were workers were opposed to union membership, that is until they saw their hourly wage rate go up as a result of collective bargaining. I also represented a local meat cutters union which represented workers in a terrible slaughterhouse. When the new contract that we had negotiated came up for membership approval, the president of the local union offered to fight anyone in the room who demanded that the negotiated contract be defeated because the new wages weren’t enough. He had no takers. But union membership was a badge of honor! Where did it go?
Among the accomplishments of the labor movement are the restrictions and controls over child labor. Yet as we celebrate this holiday there are Repub controlled states that are eliminating restrictions on child employment, in particular allowing limits on age, hazards and hours of employment for children.
They are doing this primarily so that young immigrant children can be exploited in meat packing, farming and other hazardous jobs.
We must fight these terrible policies and protect children from exploitation and danger. We need federal laws that stop states from allowing the exploitation of the young.
We just need federal laws to stop Republicans from enforcing draconian decisions in their states!
We have gone backwards in so many ways. With “essential” workers bearing the brunt of it. The average wage worker (read: hourly) cannot afford a house in much of the country, nor the rent for a two bedroom apartment. How is that progress? This is the reality for far too many of our neighbors and has given rise to the grifting populism that we are battling.
At the end oblast week, as I checked out at the grocery store I thanked the csh register person, for being an essential worker during the early months of the pandemic; and I asked if he would have any days off this weekend. He really appreciated the comment about being essential, as he said that many people have forgotten how essential grocery people were and the risks they took so that all of us would have something to eat. He said he had 2 days off during this 3-day weekend, which was the best he could hope for in his line of work. I think not enough people who are really essential workers in our lives are recognized for the sacrifices they make, the extra energy they give, the additional time they devote to their jobs so that our lives will be better. So much of this concern for fair work practices comes from the Bible, where it says that you cannot withhold a person's wages overnight because that person might need those wages that day to feed his/her own family. Thank you to all of the workers who give of themselves to make our lives better. I vow to continue to be sure that fair labor practices will be prt of your lives. God Bless America 🇺🇸
I was a nurse for 38 years; about 4 of those years were non-unionized. One of those jobs was great; we were paid well, generous vacation and time off; the other not so much. I would never have been able to stay in my profession without a union fighting for pay, benefits, retirement etc. I would not be sitting here reading Substack if I had not had that benefit and would still be working. I remember Labor Day picnics here in California and in Chicago. No billionaire gets there alone. They make their money on the backs of those who don’t make even 1% of their pay.
My son worked (briefly) for a company that got around paying for overtime. In our state, overtime is for more than 40 hours per week, not more than 8 hours per day. It may be that way in other states. So this place would make the workers leave early for the first 4 days, then work them wor 10 hours on the 5th. That way they didn't work more than 40 hours, and weren't paid any overtime. I think the law should be changed so working more than 8 hours per day qualifies for overtime pay. I also think overtime pay should apply to salaried workers.
Off hand, I’m not aware of states that mandate 8/hr days. There are union contracts with provisions for increased hourly rate after 8 or more hours. Long hours is a big safety issue for workers too ex: building trades & healthcare workers.
The petty cheapness reminded me of a job I took to learn how to use computers many moons ago. A small well-established business. The owner was a former Lt. Gov. I knew their pay was minimal. (I got an extra 10 cents/hour above MW because I had a couple yrs of college.) They arranged our hours so that we did not work 4 straight hours. That way we were not entitled to breaks. 3.75 hrs in the morning. Lunch. 3.75 hrs in the afternoon. (Us ladies were constantly informed that the board - men - were concerned we used too much toilet paper.)
At Christmas we got a big tin of Boy Scouts popcorn. A co-worker explained it would be a 2fer deduction: donation to the Boy Scouts and an employee ‘gift.’ 🤦♀️ The container was nice.
It's amazing how chincy some companies are.
True as far as it goes. Workers were fortunate he adopted a recommendation from his brother for the 40 hour week. However, Henry Ford was very much a creature who believed in “class.”
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ford-factory-workers-get-40-hour-week
The truth about Henry Ford is more complicated and not as lovely as painted. As might be expected, he was a micromanager of his employees. That also extended into their personal lives.
Characteristics he believed were undeserving or undesirable disqualified workers from the extra pay. Women earned less and if married were first to be fired. When more Black people entered the workforce he viewed them as inferior. His view of Jewish people was deplorable and his hatred for unions is legendary.
“Technically, workers’ pay remained less than or near $2.50 a day, and the extra money was a bonus they had to earn. The year Ford introduced the bonus, he established a company Sociological Department that sent inspectors to the homes of his employees”
https://www.history.com/news/henry-ford-antisemitism-worker-treatment
Yes, Ford was an anti-Semite and a Nazi sympathizer, among the various reasons (including yours) I hesitated quoting him.
Thank you!
As someone born and raised in MI, I grew up steeped in all things auto, all the time. I know that even the most ruthless capitalist can do something beneficial to others in pursuit of profit. I think of his support for the 40 hour week as proof that it is good business and good for workers/families. His name jumped out at me. It seems as though the legend floats above mere mortals as a manufacturing hero, untethered by his other qualities.
Thank you.
I was also going to say something about Ford. He definitely was a man not to be admired. He loved Hitler and provided him with vans and trucks. The vans were used as gas chambers to murder Jews and gypsies. My grandparents were with 9 others at the gas camp called Chelmno. They were in a van.
I hear you. See my note above.
😔
My grandfather was a bricklayer. We would often go to the bricklayers picnic by train out of Cleveland, Ohio, and all day picnic for the children and grandchildren of bricklayers. I don’t remember details I remember the train food, balloons, ice cream Popsicles. We always participated but as kids it was nothing but a fun day- not political.
Here is a paragraph from Teddy Roosevelt’s address on Labor Day in NY state - from Steve Schmidt’s column:
In the history of mankind many republics have risen, have flourished for a less or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state; and in no way has this loss of power been so often and so clearly shown as in the tendency to turn the government into a government primarily for the benefit of one class instead of a government for the benefit of the people as a whole. Again and again in the republics of ancient Greece, in those of medieval Italy and medieval Flanders, this tendency was shown, and wherever the tendency became a habit it invariably and inevitably proved fatal to the state. In the final result, it mattered not one whit whether the movement was in favor of one class or of another.
Did he not nail this? Read the whole thing...
Just as companies fight against paying salaried employees for work over 40 hours, they also only hire part time workers so they do not have to give them any benefits. They don't even have to give them pay to live on , for they cut the numbers of hours assigned in shifts, hire new people at lower pay than those employed longer who have gotten some pay raises. Few owners, CEOs are sympathetic to worker needs as Ben & Jerry.
A good understanding of unions comes from researching those of educators. In short, during the 30s depression years, communists put forward policies calling for decent teacher pay, rights, duties, all of which sounded good to those in the profession. (My father got his BA in 1930 and felt fortunate to find employment at $400/year.) Many joined or agreed, leading to FBI investigations. The movement dwindled as Stalin's true nature became known. This all set the stage for the loyalty oaths required of teachers in the 50s, McCarthy era. To keep his job, my dad had to pledge that he was not nor ever had been a communist.
Today, the National Education Assoc is the largest professional union in the nation. The American Federation of Teachers represents 1.72 working professionals. Members have been Einstein, Weisel, McCourt (Angela's Ashes), Bunche, Mansfield. Its nemesis is Florida, hoping to decertify FL teacher unions; FL law requires that 60% of members pay dues. They don't.Tenure is not guaranteed if found incompetent. We know Republicans say teachers are indoctrinating liberal views. They, of course, wish to do the opposite. Thus are books banned, as are sex topics, the true history of slavery , and school boards and those in power agree with these policies. Rubio calls the schools a cesspool of Marxist indoctrination." 25 states have imitated Florida. Teachers fear for their jobs, even criminal prosecution.
The representative unions should gear up and fight for school freedom to learn, to stop fear among profs at universities and public school teachers of getting fired. They should loudly call for aid and improvement in public schools and against advocating for private/charter schools to receive so much of the tax payers' money. These Republican politicians are using our young to advance their fascist tactics. But in Florida, it is students who are protesting, unrepresented by anyone.
As an aside,not much to do with subject at hand, but a cute story - when quite little, my daughter saw girls circling a May pole, wreaths of flowers on their heads. So she picked a big bouquet of little wild violets and on her own, presented them to our nice neighbor lady on May Day. ; )