Labor Day Essay - 751 Words

Labor Day is a dedication to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national acknowledgment to the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. It has evolved from a purely labor union celebration into a general â€Å"last fling of summer† festival. The origin and deeper meaning of the day has been forgotten, or never actually known to many. The beginnings of the American Labor Movement started with the Industrial Revolution. Once factory systems began to grow, a demand for workers increased. They hired large amounts of young women and children who were expected to do the same work as men for less wages. New immigrants were also employed and called†¦show more content†¦It was founded in 1869 by garment workers in Philadelphia who believed that one union of skilled and unskilled workers should exist. The union was originally a secret, but later was open to all workers, including blacks, women and farmers. Five hundred thousand workers joined in a year. Their goals were an eight-hour work day, a minimum wage, arbitration rather than strikes, health and safety laws, equal pay for equal work, no child labor under the age of fourteen, and government ownership of railroads, telegraphs and telephones. However, the Knights of Labor was a relatively weak organization, and eventually fell apart. In 1886, the American Federation of Labor (AF of L) was formed and replaced the Knights of Labor. Its leader was former cigar union official Samuel Gompers who only wanted to focus on skilled workers. The AF of L was a conglomeration of twenty-five unions that included three hundred thousand workers working for increasing wages, reducing hours, and improving working conditions. Gompers believed that everyone should receive equal pay for equal work, and that everyones rights should be protected. He also thought the unions should be primarily concerned with the day-to-day welfare of the members and should not become involved with politics. He also thought that socialism would not succeed in the United States. quot;Bread and butterquot; unionism was theShow MoreRelated The Day Labor Market in Phoenix, Arizona Essay3061 Words   |  13 PagesThe Day Labor Market in Phoenix, Arizona Introduction This paper focuses on the Macehualli Day Labor Union located in Phoenix, Arizona in the 85032 area. Throughout the history of the United States, illegal immigrants have come from all over the world to find work and a better way of life. It is estimated that right now there are about seven million illegal aliens living in America. About 69% of these illegal immigrants are Mexican and over 283,000 of them live in Arizona1. In this paperRead MoreRailway Labor Act And Impact On Modern Day Airlines1564 Words   |  7 PagesRailway Labor Act and Impact on Modern Day Airlines For decades, the railroad industry was in a period of great economic political, and industrial changes in the United States. The industrial boom was taking its toll on the United States, and the widespread violent work stoppages were detrimental to the railroad industry due to tensions escalating between unions and workers. President Calvin Coolidge was strongly vocal about the issue and urged railroads and unions to recommend legislation to improveRead MoreMy Childhood And Early Teenage Years1702 Words   |  7 Pagesdoing in order to have fun, and it was exciting to do. My life changed that Labor day weekend of 9th grade, and my parents view of me changed along with it. The weekend started off normal enough. I decided to just relax that Friday night by doing homework and playing some games before heading to sleep. 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Yet, to the extent that labor is a â€Å"fictitious commodity† (Polanyi 2001), day laborers fulfill in this market-placeRead MoreEthnography Of The Blue House2284 Words   |  10 PagesEthnography of the â€Å"Blue House†: Plano Day Labor Center While making the drive on my way to school, my father decides to take a short detour to go pay his worker. It is early in the morning and still very grey outside which facilitated my usual slumber. This detour meant nothing more to me than simply that of a detour, but it wasn t until I was suddenly awaken by the car being strangely rocked like that of a small raft in the sea. Being nearly eight years old, I m instantly on high alert and veryRead MoreMy Experience At The Labor Day Holiday Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesThis week was a very hectic week, being that it was a short week because of the Labor Day Holiday. I cannot talk about this week without talking about my job. Waking up Tuesday Morning I had my day planned out. I was going to go into work for a little while and then go to my field placement. However, when I went into work on Tuesday that plan went out the door and my entire day was spent at work. My stress level immediately went through the roof thinking about ho w I am going to get my hoursRead MoreEmotional Labor : Modern Day Capitalist Society1966 Words   |  8 PagesEmotional labor 1 Running Head : Emotional labor: modern day capitalist society emotional labor : modern day capitalist society Matthew Beekman Montclair state University Dr. Vikash Singh Social theory Critical analysis Emotional labor 1 In today’s capitalist society, many have to act or reject their current thoughts and emotions to thrive and survive in the workplace. In daily life many pretend to be happy and attentive for means of a pay check, in which without these toolsRead MoreChildren And Their Effects On Children1406 Words   |  6 Pagesin sweat shops, out in fields, in mines, some are sold into prostitution and some are in the military. A lot of these children are forced to do these jobs because they need to help their families. Sometimes families will sell their children to do labor because they are in debt. Some might say that working as a child could be beneficial. It teaches them good work ethic and responsibility. It also teaches them how working hard and earning money is a way of living. But in reality, it robs children of