You might already want to call me a commie for writing something about this very important holiday. You might not give a second thought to even why this is a federal holiday, and just appreciate the day off. Please allow me to explain why in a modern western society this day is still vitally important. Labor Day in early September every year should give you pause to reflect on all those that came before you to make your life better, and why we have to continue fighting today.

When you clocked out on Friday of this week at the end of that long 40 hour toil for some, calling for others, and whether it be a profession or a punishment, that 40 hours was fought for. One of the original international labor organizations’ slogan that rings as true today as it did over a hundred years ago is: ‘8 for work, 8 for sleep, 8 for what we will.’ Make no mistake, organized labor and the people it comprised have made your life today irrefutably better.

Since the origins of the Boston Manufacturing Company, and the Waltham and Lowell mills that were the first mass production facilities in the United States there has been a struggle in American capitalism between ownership and labor. The shift in the 19th century from trade-unionism as a profession and the factory system is a lesser known narrative in American history, but in no way unimportant. The division of labor in many ways began there, and still exists today.

The concept of a weekend, and a 40 hour work week, and overtime pay, and paid time off were not foregone conclusions in the system, but something vehemently fought for by organized labor. Call me a commie again if you like, but everyone, not just those in the organization, benefit from organized labor. This is seen through better compensation and benefits, but also basic things like workplace safety that would be otherwise ignored in a runaway capitalist system.

I am writing all of this today to say, if you have the opportunity to join a union in your workplace, or start one, I strongly urge you to do so. As a proponent of yourself and your family, you would be much better served to participate in a labor organization than to break under the pressure or union busting tactics and fear mongering of your employer. If you do not advocate for yourself, and your co-workers, nobody will.