I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend honoring Labor Day. I didn’t realize that Labor Day has been on our calendars since 1894 - nearly 130 years ago. It began when labor activists pushed for recognition of the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. Congress agreed and the federal holiday was added to the nation’s calendar that year.
Since then, I believe the importance of this holiday has lessened. It has become a mark for many as the official end of summer. (I wish it was the end of heat!). Because it coincides with the beginning of school, most people use the holiday to make sure they have completed their summer activities, trips and travel, before the grind of the remainder of the year.
Rare is the person that comes up to me and says, “Hey, I hope you and yours are having a great day of acknowledgment of all those who work so hard for us to live in this great country of ours!” In fact, if you’ve had someone say that to you, kudos to them!
In 1894, I doubt any of the politicians who voted to recognize Labor Day could have envisioned the real progress laborers would have in making our nation one of the most productive and inventive in the world. Our vital labor force is what keeps our progress building and growing.
So not wanting to miss this opportunity, I would like to say THANK YOU to all those who work so hard for our communities, helping to keep most of our modern way of living running smoothly in America.
Here are just a few of the many labor areas that we did not have or that were very different in 1894, when we first began recognizing our work force in the USA:
Education — Teachers, physical facility maintenance and office staff, professors, and administrators
Electricity / Utilities — Power generation and power line workers
Safety — Police officers, firemen, ambulance and first responders.
HVAC — Air conditioning A/C manufacturers, installers, and repair workers (our current Superheroes in this heat)
Groceries — Farmers, truckers, boat operators, shipping personnel, cashiers, and stock workers at the local grocery
Vehicle — Auto manufacture workers, delivery truck drivers, car salespeople, gas station attendants, auto repair personnel, oil field workers
TV / Radio — Electronic manufacturers, salespeople, all those who work behind and in front of the camera / microphone to entertain and educate us.
Computer and Internet — Computer manufacturers, cell phone manufacturers, cell tower repairmen, fiber optic installers, salespersons who sell us all the wonderful devices we can no longer do without.
Road Infrastructure — Asphalt workers and concrete workers, engineers, federal/state/county/city maintenance workers.
Water supply/sewer — Plumbers, sewer plant workers and administration
Modern Appliances — Manufacturers, salespeople and repair personnel
Healthcare — Nurses, aides, lab techs, hospital administrators, cleaning, and meal prep workers
Sanitation — Garbage collectors, recycling employees, landfill workers.
And in my own profession, I’m grateful for those who support our Justice System — court workers, law enforcement, bailiffs, law clerks, maintenance personnel and court clerks.
The above list was not meant to be exhaustive. And I know that I have left out entire areas of important laborers, such as construction workers, mechanics, roofers, animal care personnel, etc. Feel free to add to the above list and share with others.
Please take this month to express your gratitude to the many who work so hard for all that we have. Our nation is better because of the social and economic achievements of our labor force, and they are a big reason that I’m thankful to live in our country.