Labor Day Special

I’ve always tried to do something on-topic for Labor Day. After all, this is an employment blog, and Labor Day is about labor, not just the end of summer.

Start with the basics: “Why do we celebrate Labor Day?”

Next, review a couple of my Labor Day posts from years past :

2005: “Labor Day Special : Labor Law Stories” (a book review)

2004: “George’s Labor Day special” (some links broken)

Don’t forget my recent post on labor history, if you missed it: “A Short Course in Labor History”

Then peruse the 73rd edition of the esteemed Blawg Review for Labor Day 2006, hosted
by The Workplace Prof Blog. It takes the following approach:

So who is exactly winning the war these days? There are probably more scientific ways to decipher this on-going tit-for-tat, but we thought what better way to do this (given the constraints of a blog carnival) than to review recent labor-related blog posts and determine whether the story’s outcome favors labor or management. For the sake of keeping the sides straight, we’ll call the labor side, “Norma Rae,” and the management side, “Wall Street.”

Lots of good stuff, with the non-scientific final tally:

Norma Rae: 9
Wall Street: 6
Tie, on-going, to be determined, etc.: 8

Workers’ Comp Insider is in the mood too, with “Remembering the ‘labor’ in Labor Day.”

Noting that “The New York Times reports that three polls find workers sensing deep pessimism [and] [m]ost survey respondents indicated that wages are not keeping up with inflation and that conditions are worse than they were a generation ago,” the Insider says:

Between now and Monday, there may not be a lot employers can do to tackle that deep-seated pessimism, but we think there are some simple things that employers can do to commemorate the holiday, even with the day fast upon us: recommit to providing a safe workplace. Take the time to thank your employees and let them know you value them. We think Labor Day might be a good time of year to issue bonuses, raises, and recognition programs.

The Insider goes on to list links to a variety of sites paying tribute to the American worker.

The Monster Blog also notes the New York Times article (“On Labor Day Weekend Eve, Bad News/Good News for American Workers”), but tries to look at the bright side, pointing to:

Slight drop in unemployment rate
New pension reform bill
Entry-level workers face “moderately bright future,” according to MonsterTRAK “2006 Entry-Level Outlook.”

Additional Links:

Boston Globe: “Labor Day, 2006″ (segues into whipping Wal-Mart from dubious proposition, “A union contract may be the best bulwark against the widening income gap”.)

The Washington Post: “Labor Day Highlights U.S. Cynicism About Working” (boo hoo, we’re all overworked and have horrible bosses — plus incomes are not keeping up with inflation).

Detroit Free Press: “In Our Opionion | Labor Day 2006: Tough Times Still Ahead” (Michigan, birthplace of one the most hard core and militant unions, the UAW, “is among the particular places where the workforce is undergoing a wrenching transition of uncertain outcome.” The state’s unemployment rate is 7%, more than two percentage points higher than the national average. Coincidence? I think not. They killed the goose with the golden egg.)

Washington Post: Mr. Bush and Labor Day; Workers aren’t benefiting from growth

To really understand what’s going on and why the news isn’t all bad, look at the National Assocation of Manufacturers annual Labor Day Report (.pdf). That real wages aren’t keeping up is true only because of the impact of rapidly rising energy prices. Excluding those, real wages would be growing faster during the current expansion than any of the three previous recoveries. Small comfort, perhaps, but it does indicate the source of the problem may be somewhat different than the other articles suggest.

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