Posted on 09/07/2009 12:31:20 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Labor Day has changed dramatically. Massive marches in Detroit, Pittsburgh and New York City on this day once marked the power of organized labor. This year, union members will be marching in much smaller parades and enjoying slimmed- down picnics. Some parades and picnics have been canceled.
Those are signs of the times. Here are a few more:
More than 9.1 million Americans — union and nonunion alike — are categorized by the Labor Department as involuntary part-time workers. They're the lucky ones. They still have a job but are working fewer hours each week. Their reduced paychecks reflect that fact.
For more than 1 million union members and more than 14.2 million nonunion Americans, cutting back on spending is no longer an option. It is an imperative. They lost their paychecks. In far too few instances, they were replaced by unemployment insurance checks. The government's $300 or $400 a week hardly covers the mortgage. Paying for groceries, utilities, insurance, school supplies and clothes has become trickier than Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
Another 6.2 million Americans are only marginally attached to the work force, according the Labor Department. They went looking for jobs in the past year but couldn't find them. In the next few months, these jobless Americans will start dropping off the radar. Very few will find work. Most will accept the grim reality that there simply aren't any jobs available to them.
If you add the 9.1 million involuntary part-time workers and the 15.2 million unemployed to the 6.2 million workers marginally attached to the work force, the total number of Americans idled in this recession exceeds 30.5 million. That's 19.7 percent of the work force — or 1 out of 5 workers.
So here's my suggestion: Let's dramatically change the nature of Labor Day. A member of the Machinists union, Matthew McGuire, is credited with the idea of setting aside one day a year to celebrate work, and to give people a chance to enjoy a day off with their family and friends. But with 30.5 million of us idled to some degree, it seems to me that this is no time to celebrate the work we do. Instead, let's dedicate this Labor Day to those who are not working.
Forget about who belongs to a union and who doesn't. Remember that we are all Americans. And let's do more for the army of the jobless than pray, "There but for the grace of God go I."
Each of us should do some little thing for those who are suffering in this recession — cook a meal, drop off a six-pack, fix a broken swing, cut a lawn, or just drop by for a visit. We need to show we care about them and what they are going through.
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R. Thomas Buffenbarger is president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, based in Upper Marlboro, Md.
“Union President: Dedicate this Labor Day to those not working”
Why not? Don’t we give tax breaks to people who don’t pay taxes.
You can bet every dollar you have that he’ll be working for George Soros before Friday rolls around, probably in the mid-six figures, unless I miss my guess!!
They could keep causing more too, if they’re allowed to
My God, 19.7 million Americans are suffering terribly and the politicians and the corporations swore up and down to us that handing over hundreds of billions of dollars to them would avoid all this suffering.
Well to be fair there wasn't any mention of off shoring, NAFTA, H1B Visas either. The article kinda just focused on the reccesion.
But yeah I guess it does suck when our own agendas aren't pushed to the forefront...
Let’s see... not working... that would be a large number of union members correct?
LLS
What a stupid statement. People that are unemployed presumably would have plenty of time to cook meals, fix swings, mow lawns, etc. Just more typical backwards thinking.
As to dedicating Labor Day to the unemployed - how about speaking out for economic policies that will actually increase employment like tax cuts and LESS unionization. Ass clown.
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