Happy Labor Day! A tribute to the American worker and work ethic!
Amazing what’s been built by the American worker: Railroads, the interstate system, air travel, the espresso martini! To name just a few.
And by American innovation: The light bulb, I-Phone, the internet, IPAs. Naming just a few more.
Signed into law as a federal holiday by Grover Cleveland in 1894, during his second non-consecutive term.
Denied a second term on his first try, his estate still claiming the 1888 election was stolen – the DOJ continues looking for missing boxes of ballots – but he celebrated his return by immediately renaming Cleveland Cleveland.
Which was easy – no signs to repaint.
But it made him feel better about himself.
And he really enjoyed the confused looks when people heard the news.
Congress later designating wearing a belt with suspenders combination the “Full Cleveland”, cementing Grover’s place as America’s Best Dressed Man.
Labor Day’s (LD) passage came as a reaction to the violent Pullman strike in Chicago, where Cleveland had sent federal troops to help quell the riots. Unfortunately, multiple rioters were killed, most not wearing masks during the Spanish Flu pandemic, so a national holiday was passed as an oops, sorry…
The September timing intended to differentiate it from May Day, celebrated world-wide as a socialist holiday: Workers Unite!
Given today’s socialist movement, Labor Day may have to be moved again.
While it was originally passed to honor labor – hence, the clever name – of late, it has turned into a day of barbecues and beer.
And bonfires built to burn all white and seersucker clothing. Those colors banned post Labor Day as part of the bipartisan compromise, allowing passage of the bill.
But it remains a full day tribute to the American worker and work ethic; in France the celebration ending at 6:45P in tribute to their 30-hour work week…
Back then labor meant lifting things; it began as a celebration of unions, and then union leadership corruption, which might even be worse than political corruption – but who’s counting?
Union leadership has been influenced by organized crime – the mob – who steal union dues and spend it on braciole; which I totally get – have you ever had bra-zhol?
But unions occasionally have to call a work stoppage (aka strike). Many are successful gambits, particularly the recent (2023) UAW action. But in today’s Remote Work world, strikes now called and conducted on social media, making it much easier to call a scab a scab.
Speaking of the internet, social media influencers now laborers…reposting posts the heaviest thing lifted.
So, a great day, a well deserved tribute.
But something’s missing: Mothers.
The largest source of labor in the history of the world.
Never mentioned in the LD tributes…
Who, if they formed a Mother’s Union, with a strike could immobilize the world: No meals prepared, no clean laundry, no answers to “Where’s my backpack”?
No solving of problems you didn’t even know you had…
And have actually labored.
I know there’s a Mother’s Day, which doesn’t seem sufficient to honor all our mothers do; please tell My Captor I said that, my shirts are in the wash.
But they definitely serve as models of American work ethic and ingenuity, mothers inventing:
The ‘side eye’, a silent version of “Would you jump in a lake?”
The 4-day holiday weekend – just take Friday off!
The “I wish they knew you like I know you” pep talk.
Thanks Mom, for all your efforts.
As for me, I’m taking today off, having two beers and burning my white t-shirts tonight.
A perfect Labor Day!
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Happy Labor Day!