“Young men are putting themselves, six feet in the ground, cause all this damn country does, is keep on kicking them down…”

 

Happy Labor Day, my friends – I hope this article and the day find you well.

Whatever your plans are for this sacred holiday, I wanted to take the time to say a few things about it. You see, like many holidays, we routinely take them for granted and never really take the time to understand what happened. We don’t know our history – the struggles, suffering, strife, agony, anguish, and misery – that took place for our benefit today. You can read a more in-depth historical study about Labor history here (Specifically Ironworkers, but much of the beginning is applicable to all of the skilled trades since it all started in the mines); in the meantime, I want to address some of the greatest benefits organized labor has brought to America, what the perception of Unions is today, and what the future could hold.

Benefits Brought Through Blood, Sweat, and Tears

 

Child labor exploitation was rampant during the robber baron age – organized labor fought to end it

There are numerous benefits brought about through the struggle of organized labor; many are taken for granted, too. They are:

1. 8 hour work day
2. Weekends
3. Child Labor Laws
4. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
5. Overtime Pay
6. OSHA
7. Healthcare
8. Dental
9. Vision
10. Social Security
11. Minimum Wage
12. Paid Vacation
13. Age Discrimination Laws
14. Wrongful Termination Laws
15. Sexual Harassment Laws
16. Equal Pay Act
17. American Disabilities Act (ADA)
18. Military Leave
19. Civil Rights
20. Workers Comp

These – and others not listed – have been the target and intentionality of organized labor. It is a travesty this country doesn’t teach labor history, but I understand its exclusion – anti-union forces wish people to remain ignorant. Should people learn the true struggles their ancestors fought for that they now enjoy, they would have a great awakening in the workforce.

So much has taken place over the past 150 years that almost everyone would be surprised if they really knew what’s happened. There have been people who’ve been paid in company money, to shop at company stores, living in company housing, and they’ve worked alongside their own children while doing so – because their company pay wasn’t enough to afford what the company was selling them at their company store. Additionally, there were appalling safety conditions, workers had no “rights,” nor did they have much recourse, either. They were viewed as tools in a toolbox and when they became dull, they were thrown away for sharper ones. They had no real, intrinsic, or human value.

Facing these and other terrible conditions, workers began to organize – or come/band together – and collectively let their voices be heard. They faced persecution, were ostracized, some lost their lives in the pursuit of fair and humane treatment, and even the government was complicit in their punishment of those who sought change. Does that sound familiar? It should: There are similar comparisons and situations to that of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.

Whenever you want/deserve something, you have to fight for it – it will not be handed to you. The principle that people will get away with on whoever they can is always at work.

Labor Day represents so much more than BBQs and a day off from work; it’s the holy holiday celebrating the sacrifice of those who have gone before us – achieving what many wouldn’t dare to, today.

Perceptions of Organized Labor Today

 

Mark Twain said, “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

As far as I’m concerned, we have needed a restart in our workforce; for too long the attack of anti-union forces – coupled with the skewed and tilted table towards management – has seen a decline in unionism. Consequently, and perhaps even more interesting, the same decline in unionism occurs in the middle class, too. When unions were attacked, eroded, and vehemently derided, so too was the middle class. Organized Labor BUILT the middle class in America.

The US Department of Treasury reports that a decline in unionism has led to income inequality and an overall decline in the middle class. American Progress Action, Economic Policy Institute, and even Forbes report much the same. Looking at the chart below, it’s hard to argue:

Image credit here.

And with that decline, there is declining safety, too.  Occupational & Environmental Medicine, simply looking at data, found – and I quote – “1% decline in unionisation attributable to RTW is about a 5% increase in the rate of occupational fatalities. In total, RTW laws have led to a 14.2% increase in occupational mortality through decreased unionisation.”

Effectively, then, American workers are being squeezed on all sides; downtrodden by unfair labor practices, and anti-worker policies, the toll is comprehensive – resulting in a decline in safety on the job, lower wages, and middle-class erosion to the detriment of this country.

What’s more, all this is taking place when Americans are favorable towards unionism – according to Gallop, it’s at 67% – and favorability for workers is high, too. Those who favor the writers in their strike are at 72% – while the UAW favorability is at 75%. 77% believe unions help their members, a record-breaking 47% believe unions help non-union workers, and 61% believe unions help the economy. You can read Gallop’s study and see the information for yourself but suffice it to say, people are sick and tired of feeling downtrodden. For what it’s worth, the anti-union movement has squeezed blood from a turnip for so long Americans have approached rock bottom.

More recently, though, this has been brought to the front and center by the smash hit “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Labeled by some to be the “Blue Collar Anthem,”  Christopher Anthony Lunsford – singing under the moniker Oliver Anthony – has struck a chord with millions not just in America but across the world, singing about the struggles of the working class. I won’t hijack his lyrics; instead, if you haven’t yet, I encourage you to watch the video and listen to the lyrics yourself.

As of this writing, the video has 55 million in just 3 weeks! Talk about mega-viral

I bring this up because his message resonates with everyone who seems to hear it – especially with those who are in the blue-collar field. My favorite line from the song is, “Young men are putting themselves, six feet in the ground, cause all this damn country does, is keep on kicking them down…”

Moreover, this song – whether you know it or not – is EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN OR FORM A UNION. No, seriously, the company will keep you just below the comfort threshold – and you wouldn’t have ANY of the above benefits  – union or non-union – if organized labor hadn’t fought for them.

What the Future Could Hold

You have two paths in front of you –  which one will you choose?

Because of the immense amount of technology, people are far more interconnected, and we have the ability to band together. Recall the video “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a video that has 55 million views in just 3 weeks! Resisting the slave mind, however, will not be easy, and it won’t just fall out of the sky, either. The truth is, though, the power resides with you, the people. YOU can band together, YOU can elect to be represented by or to form a union, and YOU can change the atmosphere. Just think: one man writes and sings a song on his property, and it has reached millions; to the point they are calling it “The Blue Collar Anthem,” and instead of being divided, people are waking up. When you are divided, your power is diminished; when workers band together, however, their power is amplified.

What’s more, the shortage in the skilled trades has demonstrated just how valuable those in the skilled trades are, and that is a recipe for greater wages, greater protections, greater respect, and greater quality of life. I’d also like to add that we here at The Wealthy Ironworker have been advocates for the ability and return to – should your family desire it – to single-family income being enough. I don’t think anyone can really argue, by today’s standards, that double income is better, especially when most of that money is going to higher child care, inflation, and increased bills, resulting in a lower quality of life. Not to mention the loss of that most precious asset: Time.

There are plenty of people who believe one income should be enough

Additionally, I’d like to point out there are numerous studies that corroborate this, too: You can check out some of them here, here, here, here, and here, to start. I won’t argue about WHICH parent is the one who stays home; that matters less to me because I have my family, and you all have yours – just that I advocate for a single income to be enough. I fail to see where that is a bad thing for the family unit. What’s certain, however, is it – and any other serious benefits, will not be coming our way without organized labor fighting all the way for them.

United we stand, divided we fall – it isn’t just a mantra for these United States – it’s for the worker, too.

Should you want to act on the above and join/organize, feel free to reach out, and I will gladly get you connected to the right person – Happy Labor Day, everyone!