Labor Day is about LABOR. It isn't about our war machine. That is all.

[BlueStreak]

Labor day isn't about "support the troops". Labor Day isn't about the American Revolution. Labor Day isn't about mindless, jingoistic patriotism.

We have Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Veteran's Day, Armistice Day, and Flag Day for that.

Labor Day is about the LABOR MOVEMENT.
It is about how we got the 40-hour work week.
It is how we got fair arbitration.
It is about how we got minimum wage and better.
It is about vacation and holiday pay.
It is about health care and unemployment insurance.
It is about Social Security and pension protection laws.
It is about a safe workplace and fair treatment of disputes.
It is about standing up for good jobs at a fair wage.
It is about opposing exporting our jobs to the lowest global bidder.

So if you see some moron waving a flag this weekend and carrying on about "supporting the troops", take a minute to politely educate them why it is that they even enjoy weekends away from their job, and how different their life would be if not for the many sacrifices of "the other great American heroes."

Support the troops on Memorial Day and Veteran's day. Doing that on Labor Day is an insult to those that fought and sacrificed to bring the American Dream to all Americans.

[-none]

1. How come the actual kinda important stuff just sinks outa sight unnoticed?

There is way too much lip service being paid to our war mongering and to the legalized money frauds as being somehow, either good or if not, something we can do little about.
This country was founded on "We the people..." and yet we are complacent in the face of the erosion of our Rights even to the point of celebrating the loss by making it about something else.
The above post is an example of what I am talking about.

[yeoman6987]

2. I just put 77 American flags out for our 77 homes in our

Last edited Fri Sep 4, 2015, 11:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Development. I don't see anything wrong with it and neither do our neighbors. I guess you can exempt American flags in you development but we won't. Perhaps others will take your suggestion, but we will not. Each home has a flag displayed on the left side of their driveway. HOA approved of them for each holiday we chose to display them.

[BlueStreak]

3. LABOR Day. Labor. Does that mean anything to you?

It isn't FLAG day. Why are you hanging flags out on Labor Day?

What have you done in your community this weekend to recognize and honor the thing this holiday is ACTUALLY about?

Flag Day was June 14. Did you put your flags out then? If not, this is really messed up.

[yeoman6987]

11. Well then don't put out flags. Problem solved for you.

[Kingofalldems]

18. Don't you dislike labor unions and such?

Thought I read that from you a while back, could be wrong though.

[BlueStreak]

24. The labor struggle isn't entirely about unions

Unions have played a vital role in building a society that can allow a middle class quality of life in America. That model fits well in the big industrial settings, but there are many other settings where a traditional "workers union" isn't going to be effective. So our struggle is bigger than "labor unions" per se.

One example is what has been going on with the NLRB. The Republicans successfully shut that down for years. It is back in operation today. The NLRB and the courts are key to preventing exploitation of workers through operators who try to escape labor protections by making jobs "free agent" things. Uber is the big current example, and last week's decision in California is really important. It says that companies like Uber may have an employer/employee relationship, and thereby have all the responsibilities of an employer, even when they try to hide that with tricky employment agreements.

The oligarchs want to make it dog eat dog. Power comes from teamwork.

So please, while you are enjoying your hot dogs, baseball games, parades or whatever, take a few minutes to remind your friends why we have Labor Day.

[EL34x4]

7. You might want to proofread your post title....

[yeoman6987]

12. Thanks!

[EL34x4]

14. It was good for a chuckle.

I almost ran with it.

Surprised it stayed up for 2 hours!

[yeoman6987]

16. I had to step out. My fingers on the phone does some misspellings and mistakes too often.

[gratuitous]

4. Honoring the heroes who bled on American soil

For the rights and dignity of all Americans.

[BlueStreak]

5. Exactly. Not every hero wore a military uniform

Rosa Parks didn't wear a uniform, for example.

Susan Anthony didn't wear a uniform.

Cesar Chavez, Gene Debs, Joe Hill, Frank Little didn't wear uniforms.

Labor Day is about the OTHER heroes that made America WORTH fighting for.

[Brickbat]

6. PREACH.

[EL34x4]

8. This active duty sailor appreciates Labor Day.

While we work long hours underway, at least when we're back on shore, we get to enjoy something that resembles a 40 hour work week. Not to mention everything else that workers fought for.

And I'll be drinking beer Sunday night because I have Monday off. Thanks workers!

[BlueStreak]

9. Thank you for your service, and be safe on Labor Day.

[EL34x4]

13. And thank you for paying my E6 salary...

...that allows me to support my family in a solid, middle-class lifestyle as sole wage-earner. And thank you for paying my 100% free health care. And my family's 100% free health care. And my subsidized grocery bill at the commissary. And my untaxed housing and food allowances. And my 30 days paid vacation every year. And the college degree that will cost me $1200 when I leave the service (if I don't earn one for free before I leave, thanks to you). And a whole bunch of other perks that I enjoy.

People thank me for my service and I appreciate this, I sincerely do. But I have it pretty damn good. I wish everyone else did.

[BlueStreak]

17. We ask you to take the ultimate risk. There is no "fair pay" for that.

[EL34x4]

21. The road goes both ways.

I can concentrate on my job, war fighting, without worrying if the needs of my family are being met, thanks to the tax-payers of this country.

And would I take the ultimate risk? The risk you are paying me handsomely to take? I'd like to think I will but I honestly don't know. I've never been tested. And no war-fighter can answer this truthfully until they've been in the shit. I haven't been in the shit. The U.S. Navy hasn't engaged in a full-throttled, balls-to-the-wall, ship-to-ship, cannon-to-cannon sea battle since Leyte Gulf, 1944.

Statistically, the most dangerous thing I do in the Navy is drive to work each day.

You ask me to take the ultimate risk. You pay me well to do so. I have the integrity to say, yes, in the heat of battle I would do my best. In the meantime, my salary is being paid by others who go to work each day in jobs far more dangerous than mine.

I just want to say thanks to everyone. We're all in this together.

[BlueStreak]

10. A message from the Musicians' Union

Dear Member:

Whether you are spending time with your family or working a gig this weekend, I hope you take a moment to remember why we celebrate Labor Day.

Labor Day is the day we honor America's hardworking women and men. Because workers joined together and said we deserve more, we now have a 40-hour workweek, weekends, and the right to organize our own unions.

Working people fought long and hard to achieve these rights, but we must keep fighting. We are at a critical juncture as Americans increasingly join the so-called "gig economy” as temporary, contract & freelance workers.

As musicians, many of us have long confronted the challenges of working as freelancers. We were part of the gig economy long before it had a name. That's why last week's decision by the National Labor Relations Board is such a huge win for all of us. The decision makes it easier for us to organize and negotiate with companies using contractors.

On Monday, please think about all we have achieved—and what we can achieve standing together.

Musicians standing together have the power. Have a great weekend!

In Unity,
Ray Hair
AFM International President

[BlueStreak]

15. My Labor Day weekend

Today there was a big celebration downtown. I played in a band that set up outside the symphony hall in support of our symphony brothers and sisters. Nearby were information booths from several union locals. And immediately in front of us, GM had a huge display showing their American-built muscle cars.

Nobody was being hard-headed, but people really do need to be educated about how important organized labor is, and how big a role that has played in what we take for granted as the "American Way" of life.

Tomorrow, this same band plays in a bigger celebration. This will be my 4th year for that one. The first year, it was the usual "rah-rah - America is awesome -- let's go kick some terrorist ass" stuff. Each year, the unions have been more present and now, this really looks like a celebration of labor, which is what the holiday is for. The unions are really working together locally.

We have to take this day back. Americans aren't against labor. They have just become ignorant and complacent of how we got here. It is all about education.

[EL34x4]

22. You a musician?

Not only am I a sailor, a war-fighter...

...but I got a really killer collection of electric guitars and an awesome Marshall Amplifier (hence my name).

[Taitertots]

19. For all intents and purposes the labor movement was a war.

I've stood on the spot where the people who would be my co-workers were murdered.

[BlueStreak]

23. Without a doubt. Americans need to understand

the labor struggles (organized and otherwise) are the war we have had to fight with the oligarchs to keep us from being a banana republic. This is what makes being an American special. It is the fight against the insiders.

The military is what protects us from the outside threats like global terrorism.

Both struggles are necessary, and both are equal in my mind. I just ask everybody to take this one time each year to help educate others that this struggle with the oligarchs continues.

[TipTok]

20. Lots of labor within the defense industry...

[BlueStreak]

25. Good point. It isn't labor VERSUS military

I view labor as America's struggle against threats within and the military is our struggle against external threats.

We need both, and need to honor both. Labor Day is when we honor the internal struggle. Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day and Flag day are when we honor the outside struggle.

[uncle ray]

26. i was woke at 7am this morning from the local school's football field PA

blasting the opening ceremony for a run for fallen soldiers. heckuva way to start this Labor Day weekend. as if it wasn't bad enough that they co-opt the holiday weekend, they feel the need to broadcast it to the whole town at 7 in the morning.

[BlueStreak]

27. Imagine the right-wing exploding heads if that run were in honor of those who gave their lives

to enable us to have weekends off to do things like have fun runs.

If anybody ran an event in honor of the fallen labor leaders, the right wing would be all over that. This is my point. This is freaking LABOR DAY. We need to take this day back.

[Snobblevitch]

28. Memorial Day is also not about 'supporting out troops'.

[EL34x4]

29. No, it's not.

It's about remembering those we've lost. Somehow, it turned in to the "Summer begins!" holiday and is celebrated with beer and cookouts. I suppose if I were a soldier, slain in battle, I'd be ok with cookouts and beer to honor my sacrifice. I certainly wouldn't want people being depressed.

Veterans' Day, November 11th, The day WWI ended (and formerly called "Armistice Day&quot , is the day you honor us.

[Snobblevitch]

30. Thanks for your service.

Memorial Day is about remembering those who have died.

The last several years I have taken my 80+ year old father on the cemetery circuit. We see the graves of my mom and her side of the family and then we go to the graves of my dad's side. He's the last one left of his generation.

[BlueStreak]

31. We screw up all our holidays.

Memorial Day should be a thoughtful day where we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and thank those who have served, willing to make that sacrifice. It should be a day when we talk about our role in the world and make sure we never ask any soldier to step into harm's way unnecessarily. What the hell do fireworks and hot dogs have to so with that.

But that is nothing compared to what we do to Christmas.

[samplegirl]

32. Love your post and shared it

with another friend....this is so perfect!