The first Monday in September, is celebrated as Labor Day. Parade and picnics prepared parents and students for the end of long lazy summer days. But some remember the history of the struggle of families attempting to earn a decent day pay for workers.
In 1894, a large corporate town( a work for pay plantation) saw jobs disappears. The Pullman company experienced a drought in the demand for its train cars. This lead to a mass layoff of workers. Those workers who remained, suffered pay cuts and longer hours, but the workers expenses remain the same. This lead to frustration between the workers and the company.
The workers decided to collectively call a halt to the company revenue, and organized to protest against Pullman cars. The measure was deem necessary to get the company to do right by the workers. However, the company retaliated against the selective boycott and locked union workers out of its shops.
Many African-Americans who were not union workers began to cross the strike line to earn the lower wages. This created a hostile environment between the preferred Illinois worker and African-Americans seeking work. As word traveled about the tactic used by the company, other preferred workers joined the strike against African-Americans porters and waiters taking these jobs. Riots began to break out in cities, hurting the economy.
The President sent in the military to break the spirit of the striking workers. The strike was declared a federal crime. It was not long before the union was disbanded with the arrest of the Union President. The leader tactic were labeled as public nuisances. The power of mobilizing workers to strike by Unions were weaken and the African-Americans were slowly allowed to join but not allowed leadership positions.
Today, unions still exist but are not as powerful as the union power expressed by the workers in 1894. The unions have been politicized and co opted by its leaders.
As evidence by the automobile industries bailout while the workers lose their jobs and reduced pay increases.
Today, unions workers are afraid to protest the unequal treatment leaving workers to continue to leave the plantation type lifestyle of slavery. Always conscious of the history that company will allow non unions workers in to replace them.
As you suck on that last barbecue bone remember, you have been co opted into believing if you have a job you should not complain.
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