In my country (and Canada) today is Labor Day a day set aside to honor laborers and their contributions to our economy and society. As I've been researching for my new book set in the 1880s, 90s, and early 1900s I am even more cognizent of how the laboring class lived and worked before the struggle and organizing of Labor Unions. It was less than 100 years ago in my country that most laborers, including young children, were working 10-12 hours a day in factories and fields, there was no established work week and so most laborers worked 60, 70, 80 hours a week. During that time there was no established minimum wage and many were working for pennies an hour. Vacation time, sick leave, maternity leave, were all nonexistent. So this day, this Labor Day, I am grateful for the work of the laborers who build our infrastructures, for the laborers who feed us, for the laborers who keep us safe and respond to accidents and disasters. This day, this Labor Day, I am grateful for the generations of organizers who fought for safe working conditions, humane hours, and a living wage. It is through vigilance on all our parts that the rights gained do not slip away. Blessings on all laborers, here in my country, and throughout the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Columns, Blogs & PostsYou can read the blog about my newest book project, "What's Remembered, Lives!" here... Archives
May 2021
Categories |