The Dignity of Work
Today I am grateful for safe travels over the weekend and a really solid long training run on Saturday. I am also grateful for a home to come home to.
Today is Labor Day. A nice day off for many of us. A symbolic end to summer for most of us. A national holiday. The former social studies teacher in me always also thinks of the real meaning behind the day. What led to this national holiday and when? Why is it important? Have we forgotten the significance amid the backyard barbecues and retail sales?
Some quick answers follow. The roots of Labor Day date back to 1882, when a parade to celebrate workers/labor was held in New York City on Sept. 5th. It became a national holiday in 1896. The labor movement and labor organizations elicit a variety of opinions among the public still today, but their impact cannot be downplayed. Reasonable wages, better working conditions, an end to child labor, and the 8-hour work day came about because of the labor movement. Some even gave their lives fighting for these causes, such as those who died in the tragic Haymarket Affair in Chicago in May of 1886.
Many things we take for granted today came from the hard work and sacrifice of many people in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many things we take for granted today come from the hard work of many others last week or last month. I like how the Department of Labor website describes Labor Day:
Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Labor Day celebrates the dignity of work.
The dignity of work. Honest work for honest pay. Work that benefits society and provides goods and services to others. Work that builds communities and connections. From those who helped build the car I drive and those who help maintain it and provide fuel for it; to those who stock the shelves at the local grocery store and work the checkout lines. And every other kind of work, simple to complex, basic to highly skilled, that allows Americans to enjoy a tremendous quality of life.
Today I will appreciate that quality of life and the dignity of the workers who have helped create it and continue to make it possible.
Today is Labor Day. A nice day off for many of us. A symbolic end to summer for most of us. A national holiday. The former social studies teacher in me always also thinks of the real meaning behind the day. What led to this national holiday and when? Why is it important? Have we forgotten the significance amid the backyard barbecues and retail sales?
Some quick answers follow. The roots of Labor Day date back to 1882, when a parade to celebrate workers/labor was held in New York City on Sept. 5th. It became a national holiday in 1896. The labor movement and labor organizations elicit a variety of opinions among the public still today, but their impact cannot be downplayed. Reasonable wages, better working conditions, an end to child labor, and the 8-hour work day came about because of the labor movement. Some even gave their lives fighting for these causes, such as those who died in the tragic Haymarket Affair in Chicago in May of 1886.
Many things we take for granted today came from the hard work and sacrifice of many people in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many things we take for granted today come from the hard work of many others last week or last month. I like how the Department of Labor website describes Labor Day:
Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Labor Day celebrates the dignity of work.
The dignity of work. Honest work for honest pay. Work that benefits society and provides goods and services to others. Work that builds communities and connections. From those who helped build the car I drive and those who help maintain it and provide fuel for it; to those who stock the shelves at the local grocery store and work the checkout lines. And every other kind of work, simple to complex, basic to highly skilled, that allows Americans to enjoy a tremendous quality of life.
Today I will appreciate that quality of life and the dignity of the workers who have helped create it and continue to make it possible.
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