Hey? What are YOU doing here? Shouldn't you be at work? Oh, that's right, today is Labor Day!
Today is the National Holiday President Grover Cleveland set aside to celebrate the existence of Unionized American Workers, Labor Unions, and Political Cronies!
But let me ask you this: Do you know WHY you're home from work today? Do you know the reason for Labor Day, and why it's celebrated in September?
Did you ever think about those questions? Hmm, did ya, did ya???
If, however, you are at work today, or this evening, please accept my sincere apologies. My wife is a Nurse, and since she has a 'real job' (defined here as 'Saving Lives, Administering care to the sick, to the well, to the dying, Counseling Families, and giving sponge baths to 'large, and sometimes stinky people') she often works Labor Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, Ground Hog Day, Thanksgiving, Arbor Day and other MAJOR national holidays.
As for the rest of us? Oh yes, Labor Day is a day of 'leisure'. It is a day in which Americans celebrate "stickin' it to the man" one last time by NOT showing up for work during the waning moments of summer.
So let's take a moment to do an EXCLUSIVE Moos Room Investigation of:
"THE ORIGIN OF LABOR DAY"!
(Feel free to add your own 'Echo' as you read the prior CAPs section (above) in your mind)
And what better place to start than the Department of Labor?! After all, it's a Department with 'Labor' in its title, right?
Okay, we're going in...
Q.: Who was the 'Founder of Labor Day'?
A.: Great question, please ask another!
SERIOUSLY! FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WEBSITE: "More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic."
Moos Translation: Unions adopted the Labor Day 'concept' to prove that they were united, they could get together to drink beer, eat chicken, and get disorderly WHENEVER they wanted to and there was 'nothing' that their employer could do about it.
In 1883, a union member was quoted as saying, "BRRRRAAAAPPPP... Oh yeah, AND we're gonna work on getting FREE health care so we don't have to pay for nothin'!" (Sorry, I made that part up - but you know one of them was thinking it...)
Q.: Can you tell me about the First Labor Day?
A.: I could, but then I'd have to kill you.
OKAY, SINCE YOU ASKED: "The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Moos Translation: "Hey, how come THOSE guys got off for the day and WE didn't? We're in a UNION too, darn it, and we want a day off! We WANT a day off, we WANT a day OOOOFFFFFFFFF!
Oh, and one more thing, we want FREE health care for us, I mean, errr, for all Americans! Yeah, for ALL American Union members!
Q.: When did 'Labor Day' become a national holiday?
A.: On June 28th, 1894
WHAT, NO WISECRACK? Come on people, it's a 'date'! 'Dates' are not funny things.
Unless, of course, it's about night I first met my wife in a bar, but that is Waaaayyy out of line for a post on Labor Day. Plus, as everyone KNOWS, it's been a LABOR OF LOVE ever since.
Q.: Hey, how come so many other countries celebrate their 'International Worker's Day' in May (a.k.a.: May Day), and we're stuck with the first Monday of September?
A.: President Grover Cleveland didn't want blood in the streets of major U.S. cities while he was in office...
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? According to Wikipedia: "In countries other than the United States and Canada, resident working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday and their efforts largely succeeded. For this reason, in most of the world today, May Day is marked by massive street rallies led by workers, their trade unions, anarchists and various communist and socialist parties."
Now does sound like a party!!! Communist / Socialist Parties!!!
CONTINUING FROM WIKIPEDIA: "The first Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, and was organized by the Knights of Labor. The Knights began holding it every year and called for it to be a national holiday, but this was opposed by other labor unions who wanted it held on May Day (as it is everywhere else in the world).
After the Haymarket Square riot in May, 1886, President Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots.
Thus he moved in 1887 to support the Labor Day that the Knights supported."
Moos Translation: To quote Jim Morrison and the Doors, President Cleveland was trying to avoid the following (which he feared would arise if US Labor Unions celebrated the May 1st date):
"Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven
Blood stains the roofs and the palm trees of Venice
Blood in my love in the terrible summer
Bloody red sun of fantastic L.A.
Blood screams the pain as they chop off her fingers
Blood will be born in the birth of a nation
Blood is the rose of mysterious union
There's blood in the streets, it's up to my ankles
Blood in the streets, it's up to my knee
Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago
Blood on the rise, it's following me"
As an aside, I found the 'Official DOL Labor Day 2009 Poster' online. You can view it by clicking HERE. I mention it because I'm sure you'll want to print out a copy and stick it up on your wall today (make sure you have a few darts handy)!
I couldn't find the 2010 or 2011 DOL Labor Day Poster, perhaps the guy who drew 2009's was laid off?
Whoa, can you SMELL the irony???
In conclusion:
If you have a good day today, hug a Teamster!
If you have a bad day today, keep it to yourself!
If you are a Union Member, THANKS for the day off Comrade Worker!
If you are a Non-Unionized Employee, thanks for doing your job every day and not whining about it!
If you work in a mixed work environment (in a Management AND Craft (a.k.a.: Union shop)) like I used too, well, you have my sympathies! Don't get a grievance filed on you! Smile ,and just say 'thanks' to the Shop Steward!
If are an SEIU Member planning on attending a Town Hall Meeting, I found a sign for you!
If you are Jim Morrison, I'm sorry that you're not with us any more, although those lyrics dude, what was up with those lyrics?
If you are looking for someone to thank for all the "Hope" and "Change" which you've been living through lately?
Just look below, look for the Union Label!
And while I'm thinking about the Union Label, how could I possibly leave out 'The Ladies International Garment Workers Union'? (Although, isn't MOST of the clothing we buy today manufactured off-shore in third-world countries? Huh, I wonder why that is?)
Maybe the 'Union Label' just cost too much? Boy am I GLAD that the most successful Unions remaining are building our cars (for the government) and teaching our kids!
There's some peace of mind for you!!!
Yeahhh...wingnuts whining labor day. Who would have thunk it. ROFLMAO.. BTW...if your wife is a nurse she most probably is a union member and if she isn't then she ought to be. She also deserves a day off (away from you) for putting up with you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Labor day....Scrooge.
Next whine from the nutters .....Thanksgiving.
Less than one in eight members of the work force are Union-- according to the polls only one in fourteen want to be--
ReplyDeleteThey no more represent the American Workforce than the Mafia does, come to think of it, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
Once again Anon-- you are very much in the very vocal-- minority.
Happy Labor day....Scrooge.
ReplyDeleteFROM ASSANON: Next whine from the nutters .....Thanksgiving.
Idiot, you forgot Columbus Day.
And then comes Veterans Day. But you can bet your ugly ass it won't be republicans complaining on that day. That would be the lug nuts on the left side of the aisle.
Grumpy, Your news site is simply OUT OF THIS WORLD. I love it. I have linked to you on both blogs.
ReplyDeleteThank you Puma, I plan on starting to make it the main Grumpy website next week.. It has a lot more room for people to express rational view points-- and to piss off die hard liberals than we have here.
ReplyDeleteIt's not operational yet, there's still a few details to work out, but if anyone would like to take a quick look
http://grumpyelder.com/
alphamom here...
ReplyDeletewe are at the mercy of the strangulating unions in 2011 a.d.! but, please, people, travel back in time to the end of the 1880s & early 1900s...most people who worked were oppressed by their bosses & employers! women & children as well as the men, were exploited in the work force. there were "sweat shops" that were fire traps, & the employees were made to work long hours w/out food, water, restroom breaks & under unsafe conditions. children were no exception...they were tyrannized, oppressed & abused likewise. the public endured these conditions b/c they had no recourse! along came some brave, courageous people who were willing to put their lives on the line to change the status quo. many of these people lost their lives in the battle. my point is that at one time in our history, union representation was badly needed. as w/ many establishments, these same unions that were the saviors of the working man, through the ensuing years, acquired more & more power & became corrupt, dishonest, bloated, exploitive, tyrannical & toxic. another point i wish to make is, as w/ any agency run by humans, there must be limits put on their powers. as the old saying goes: "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely". alphamom/marianne
Yep, an obvious reason as to why union membership has fallen so quickly since the early 80's. Now roughly 12% of the labor pool is affiliated with a union. I have seen it from both sides, and unless you are an under achiever or slacker, the union is not in your best interest.
ReplyDeleteAgree completely Alphamom, historically the unions played a major in securing basic rights for the average working person.
ReplyDeleteIn my lifetime I've watched them go from highly respected organizations to little more than organized crime gangs, running a protection racket run for the benefit of the of the Democratic Party Godfathers.