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To the editor:
As we celebrate Labor Day during America250, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on what has made our country strong for 250 years: the American worker.
For generations, people have left their native lands, taken risks, made sacrifices and come to America in search of a better life and the American Dream. My family is no different.
They came to the United States from Ireland and found work and careers in various unions. The jobs my parents and extended family held provided decent wages, better working conditions, health benefits, pensions, and the opportunity to provide a quality life for their families.
That is what Labor Day means to me.
Labor Day is more than the unofficial end of summer. It is a day to recognize the men and women whose hard work, skills and sacrifices helped build this country.
America was built by immigrant workers and generations of labor that followed. They built our cities, roads, bridges, railroads, factories, schools and communities — turning the promise of America into reality.
Working people also stood together to demand better wages, shorter hours, safer workplaces and a voice on the job. They were not always successful, and many paid a price for standing up. But their courage laid the foundation for the American labor movement we know today.
My heroes are the early labor leaders who had the courage to organize, lead and fight for their fellow workers. Leaders such as Terence Powderly, Samuel Gompers and Peter J. McGuire helped shape a movement focused on dignity, fair wages, safer workplaces and a better quality of life.
I am especially proud that Peter J. McGuire helped establish the tradition of Labor Day celebrations in 1882. What began as a celebration of the American worker eventually became a national holiday in 1894.
As we celebrate America250, we should remember that our nation's history is not only about our founders. It is also about the millions of working Americans who came after them — the people who built, taught, manufactured, transported, cared for and maintained the America we know today.
This Labor Day, let us honor the generations of workers who built our country, appreciate how far we have come and continue working together to build a better future for the next generation.
Thank you, and God bless America!
Donna McGuire
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reenjoe
@Donna McGuire, thank you for reminding everyone of the sacrifices and contributions made by immigrant workers who risked their lives and limbs to organize and provide the prosperity we all take for granted.
American workers are the backbone of this country, and they are far more responsible for "American Exceptionalism" than are the nation's founders. The Labor movement isn't ancient history, and the struggles workers endure to receive their share of the wealth they create hasn't ended. The 1976 film "Harlan County, USA" documenting the violence and difficulties Kentucky coal miners faced should be mandatory viewing by all Americans. And everyone should be concerned about the assaults on organized labor that began in 1981 with the mass firing of Air Traffic Controllers and continues to this day with the spread of deceptively named "Right-to-work" laws.
Wednesday, September 2 Report this
Valete
America is rooted in constitutional law, individual liberty, and free-market capitalism. We owe that to the Founders.
Workers certainly built the nation’s framework. But the legal core of property rights and limited government created the stability needed for unmatched economic growth.
The 1981 air traffic controllers strike was not an attack on labor. It was a breach of federal law.
Public sector strikes directly threaten public safety and the economy. Upholding the law was a necessary step that protected the public interest. Likewise, "Right-to-Work" laws protect individual freedom. No worker should be forced to join a union or pay dues to keep a job.
True progress comes from securing personal freedom, not forcing conformity.
Tuesday, September 8 Report this