Monday, September 6, 2010

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="415" caption="Family of strikers in Ludlow"][/caption]

Labor day is not a National Holiday to be celebrated by the flying of the national flag. Nor is it to be a day of unmitigated consumerism. Labor day was won with the blood of men, women and children beaten down on the picket line. They were bombed by the government and killed by government agents that wanted to protect "national interests". Remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the use of Pinkerton Guards in escorting strike breakers among other duties( much like Blackwater is today), the Columbine Mine massacre, the Ludlow Massacre, and Blair Mountain just to name a few tragedies endured by workers. The eight-hour work day was NOT given to us . We had to take it!  Your rights as workers were paid for by others.

The fight goes on here ,as well as elsewhere. The air traffic controllers of the eighties,farm workers in the US and Latin America, anyone that corporations find a threat are lied about, threatened, or harmed with impunity from the laws for the rest of us.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="120" caption="Police being used against a workers protest"][/caption]

Labor Day should be a day of remembrance of the worker. The masses that make production possible. Capital is nothing without labor. This is a day for us to rethink our needs over our wants . To look beyond our small world to the world of others, that factory in Honduras or Bangladesh. A fair wage is international, let's hold all companies to that.

Let's remember who the workers are, not  just some of them. We must stand in solidarity in this country with other countries. Solidarity forever! Don't be afraid of titles and names, the ruling class has seen to it to misinform you in the name of education.

Cesar Chavez was not a man to be feared. He was religious and lived out his faith.







Prayer of the Farm Workers' Struggle Show me the suffering of the most miserable; So I will know my people's plight.    Free me to pray for others; For you are present in every person.   Help me to take responsibility for my own life; So that I can be free at last.      Grant me courage to serve others; For in service there is true life.    Give me honesty and patience; So that I can work with other workers.   Bring forth song and celebration; So that the spirit will be alive among us.    Let the spirit flourish and grow; So we will never tire of the struggle.    Let us remember those who have died for justice; For they have given us life.    Help us love even those who hate us; So we can change the world.Written by Cesar E. Chavez, UFW Founder (1927-1993)

As Karl Marx wrote;

"In short, the Communists everywhere support every revolutionary movement against the existing social and political order of things.

In all these movements, they bring to the front, as the leading question in each, the property question, no matter what its degree of development at the time.

Finally, they labour everywhere for the union and agreement of the democratic parties of all countries.

The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.

Working Men of All Countries, Unite!"  The Communist Manifesto


[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="751" caption="Strikers battle police with clubs and pipes during the 1934 Minneapolis General Drivers and Helpers Union strike. 1."][/caption]

So, remember those who got you this day off. The vacations and weekend and minimum wage too.  Next time you see a strike buy them a coffee .

Have  a  nice  Labor Day!




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