How Labor Got Its Day

May 1—The International Worker’s Rights Day!

If you asked an employee what comes to mind first when they think of Labor Day, what do you think they would say? The last days of summer? A family picnic? Shopping the Labor Day sales?

In the 1800s, mass production was introduced in the United States. Mass production means people worked together in factories to make goods in large quantities. The workers in these places worked long and hard for very little pay. The work was often dirty and dangerous. If workers dared to complain about their treatment, they were fired. Employers had a lot of power because there were always other people who needed a job and would be willing to do the work no matter how badly they were being treated.

The establishment of the Labor Day holiday is really the beginning of the story. There were many things in the workplace that workers wanted to change. More unions were formed. Workers came together to bring attention to how they were being mistreated. They negotiated with employers and lobbied government to increase wages, reduce the hours people worked and improve working conditions. The results of their efforts can be seen in how workers are treated today.

DISCUSSION:

• What do you do on Labor Day?
• Do you celebrate Labor Day in your country?
• How many hours a day do most people work?
• Do you work on Saturdays and Sundays?
• Are you paid enough? Why/not?
• Does your salary more or less equal your job description? Why/not?
• Have you ever negotiated a pay raise with your boss? If yes, what happened? If no, why haven't you tried to get more money?
• What's the difference (if any) between a good salary and a fair salary? Please explain.
• What happens when people work more than 40 hours in a week?
• What other days do people usually not have to work?
• Do women get paid less than men?
• Do people still get injured on the job?
• What happens if an employee is sick or gets hurt?
• Can workers be fired for joining a union? For going on strike?
• What is work-life balance? Please explain.
  

PHOTO CREDIT: www.azdems-district-21.org/PakAmer.htm

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