Monday September 5, 2011, 1:29 am
Today is the day we give thanks to the working men and women of America. As a nation, and as individuals, we owe a great debt to organized labor. As a tribute to these American heroes, here is a small part of what they have done to make your life better.

Monday September 5, 2011, 3:01 am
One thing recent is that after labor day there will be a whole lot more staying home than before as..they have no job. With all the union busting efforts of the GOP and their insaiTea side kicks the TeaBagger dumb Fk anti Americans who are doing all they can in that department. Yes I'm more than pissed this morning as more than sick of them both for taking our nation lower and lower at all levels... so a few can profit...InsaniTea at it's highest in history it appears to me..as far as stupid people supporting the super rich and voting against their own good election after election in this country.

Ok..I'll stop here and hope that the next commenter can get the tread back on track as to labor day and unions as the back bone of the nation...which they have/had been for decades.

Monday September 5, 2011, 3:09 am
Sorry Jae, But i'm not the one. I can't get the thread back either...the teabaggers have pulled the loose one and this whole country as well as my mind are well on their way to completely unravelling. Thanks Tom

Monday September 5, 2011, 4:16 am
Noted, TY

Monday September 5, 2011, 6:27 am

It was the labor of men and women that built this country and the wealthy their big bags of money. How quickly they forget. Is paying a fair wage and offering as part of that wage, health care and retire really too much to ask? We seem to be rapidly moving on a downward slide - can we struggle back?

Happy Labor Day to all those with and without jobs, all of them made their needed contributions to building a better America.

Monday September 5, 2011, 7:41 am
Happy Labor Day to all workers and those still lokking for work!

Screw the Corporate Fat Cats and their paid politicians though.

Monday September 5, 2011, 8:44 am
The labour people were the ones who helped foster better conditions for the working workers.
It gave rise to the middle clas and economic power that the world had never seen at any time
in World History. United States of America became to place to live.

TY, Tom.
.

Monday September 5, 2011, 11:23 am
Among other things, the Labor movement created the middle class. That is why the corporate slaves, the Republicans, are trying to destroy the Labor Movement.

Monday September 5, 2011, 11:38 am
There are many in the middle class, though, that apparently think that they are in the upper class, because they have always supported the interests of the wealthy over the interests of the blue collared. Our recent economic crisis should have shattered those illusions. The top 2% care as little for the widgets at the top of the middle class as those at the bottom of the middle class or low in socioeconomic spectrum. 98% of the population are just the widget class, to them. Too many that have supported fiscal conservatism have been basically benefitting from what labor has won while thinking that the benefits trickle down from above. Perhaps now they will see that they are just being trickled on?

Hopefully the debt ceiling overreach will change the minds of these people, and we will see that we have more to gain by standing together, than by holding on to any illusion of status and wealth.

Monday September 5, 2011, 12:26 pm
labor built this country...labor saved the world from Hitler and Nazism...labor is what gave people hope & the middle class and made the US the country that so many want to live in.....

Monday September 5, 2011, 1:12 pm
In places like Illinois, where I live, Prevailing Wage must be paid - you Don't have to hire Union or be Union, but UNIONS are what SET that Prevailing Wage! People just Don't Realize that! When bosses say "You don't Need a Union, you get prevailing wage" you should laugh at them! THEY don't need unions because THEY get BETTER than "prevailing wage"! They also get around "prevailing wage" by re-defining the job, etc. You ALWAYS NEED a Union directly or indirectly!

Monday September 5, 2011, 1:38 pm
Happy Labor day to all, Thanks Tom.

Monday September 5, 2011, 3:57 pm
thank you Tom, noted

Monday September 5, 2011, 4:49 pm
Here is the real problem Americans face today. It is called right-wing politicians committing adultery with super rich corporations. Republican politicians continue to preach about how if we just vote for them, they will fix America. But whenever they get in office, they suddenly forget about the American people and go right to bed with the corporations!

CEOs are winning and labor is losing, these are dark days for working people
BY John Durso
Monday, September 5th 2011, 4:00 AM

"At the same time, according to the AFL-CIO, the typical American CEO earns $11.4 million, or 343 times more than the average worker."- nydailynews.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/09/05/2011-09-05_dark_days_for_working_people.html

Monday September 5, 2011, 8:15 pm
noted, thanks

Tuesday September 6, 2011, 1:42 am
Thanks to all Kudos to Frank. Hurrah for Labor!

Tuesday September 6, 2011, 6:25 am
Noted. Thanks for posting.

Tuesday September 6, 2011, 12:46 pm
Labor is the backbone of this Country and I don't mean the ones that watch the $ signs fly across some computer screen. We need to stand up and call people out on their attacks on US the AMERICAN PEOPLE.

For too long people remain quiet and complacent while they talk their trash against labor like the laborers were some sort of dirty rodants that are to be rid of.

Thank you for reminding people Tom what LABOR and UNIONS have done for ALL of us. Remember Unions are NOT Corporations, Unions ARE the people!

Now roll up your sleeves and fight to get things back in control. If you are retired and were a union member ask them how you can help behind the scene, make phone calls, pass out flyers, pour coffee, same with all of us, find something to contribute towards. It is amazing how even an hour a week can add up, if you can do more do more.

Tuesday September 6, 2011, 10:43 pm
Good! I has a star available!

Wednesday September 7, 2011, 2:08 pm
When I was younger, I was so anti union. I didn't want anyone telling me how to think. I didn't want anyone to tell me I couldn't take a job because someone else had more seniority. I had to deal with that very early on in a non-union setting too, but in that case I won and my career was started. I didn't want to pay union dues to some union that was going to get me what I already had.

I witnessed the attempted unionisation of Canadian banks in the 1970's and was a junior manager, so union exempt. I remember the bank tactics towards junior and mid level managers --- if a union comes in, you're fired! Although they didn't say it outright initially, they sure did talk about life in Inuvik or Tuktayuktuk, both of which are in the high north above the Arctic Circle and very isolated. You sure got the point.

I have always acknowledged that unions were good and a necessary response to the Industrial Revolution, but felt times had changed and they were no longer needed. Now I'm older and hopefully a little wiser. There are still businesses and governments out there that would 'abuse' worker rights. For that, I am glad that the unions are around.

I think the general labour atmosphere is different between our 2 countries, Canada and the US. And depending on the industry, unions work differently. But I think that if management and labour could escape from this confrontational approach to labour relations, all economies would be better.

Happy Labour Day!