Join Your Friends and Neighbors in the Labor Day Parade
On Monday September 3, Americans will observe the 131st Labor Day celebration. The Allegheny County Labor Council will host its 31st consecutive parade downtown.
Pittsburgh’s parade is one of the largest Labor Day events in the United States, with nearly 200 groups and 80,000 people participating. Everything good about your standard of living came to you through the organized labor movement. First celebrated by the Knights of Labor in 1882, Congress proclaimed a national holiday in 1894.
Labor unions brought benefits to every working person in America, whether they belonged to a union or not. They are primarily responsible for establishing the middle class. We take these things for granted, but none of them existed before the rise of the unions.
Unions created the day to honor the contributions of all workers – union and nonunion – to our economic and social life. It’s especially important now when corporatists and political thugs are attacking American workers like never before. Do you REALLY believe that teachers caused the Wall Street crash in 2008? Really? Do you REALLY believe that abolishing unions will fix everything that’s wrong with the economy? Really?
Today, our unions are still fighting for our families while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Republican Party, and others are trying to destroy them. They’re not only trying to destroy unions. They’re coming for you next. Unions made our lifestyle possible. If you want to keep it, then support our unions.
Read More …
http://voices.yahoo.com/article/9713028/thank-union-member-good-life-have-11729910.html?cat=37
And don’t forget to join the #unionmember tweetup all weekend…
The relentless attacks on unions by one of the political parties, aided by partisan think tank-produced misleading and false ‘studies’ , reminds me of the lyrics from the song ” Which side are you on ? “– ” Oh workers can you stand it ? Oh, tell me how you can. Will you be a lousy scab, or will you be a man. Don’t scab for the bosses. Don’t listen to their lies. Us poor folks haven’t got a chance. Unless we organize.” Those lyrics, written in 1931, are, sadly, no less relevant today.