Labor Day is a signal for the beginning of fall, autumn leaves and the beginning of school. It is also supposed to be a tribute to working people and the American Labor Movement. Labor Day was initially May 1, May Day, but was changed when that time became identified with advocacy activities disliked by political leaders in the United States. May Day is still celebrated as International Labor Day in most countries.
On this upcoming Labor Day, workers have little to celebrate. There has been considerable outcry about economic apartheid in the United States. Corporate profits and CEO compensation have climbed to record highs. This has been accompanied by rising poverty rates, with millions of Americans facing a reduced social services safety net including the loss of health insurance, an increase in non-habitable housing and a decline in workplace safety standards.
As noted recently in The Wall Street Journal, “Wage growth for low-income workers looks to have significantly deteriorated in recent months, while wage growth for their higher-income counterparts has held up much better. It is a shift that could matter not just for low-paid workers, but the overall economy.â€
Low wages translate to less spending and more unmet needs. In turn, cutbacks in food access, available health care and habitable housing are not positive Labor Day messages.
Other recent developments are also troubling. The firing of National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox and General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo decimated the effectiveness of dealing with enforcing labor laws, protecting workers rights, conducting union recognition elections and dealing with unfair labor practices. These standards were established by the New Deal administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt to counter economic depression. Also fired were two commissioners of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The NLRB firings are particularly significant since the Board cannot now function without a quorum and new members are not currently envisioned. Ironically, the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, known as the Wagner Act, states that NLRB board members can be removed “for neglect of duty or maleficence in office, but for no other cause.â€
Recently, another worker setback occurred. The rule to lower coal miners’ exposure to silica dust has once again been delayed. Dust inhalation from coal mining increasingly encounters rock dust (silica) in coal seams. Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America, reacted by stating “The delay is simply a death sentence for more miners. The fact that an industry association with no stake in coal mining can hold up lifesaving protections for coal miners is outrageous. The Department of Labor and MSHA should be fighting to implement this rule immediately, not kicking enforcement down the road yet again. Every day they delay, more miners get sick, and more miners die. That’s the truth.â€
When America was in the midst of the Great Depression, the Roosevelt administration championed the Wagner Act and similar legislation to help working people obtain higher wages and more benefits. Since the process has broken down, it is probably time to revisit that way of thinking. Society as a whole would benefit from more equality, less poverty, higher wages, better health care, improved pension coverage and greater participation in the democratic process, both politically and at the workplace.
Lincoln once stated that a nation cannot endure if it is half slave. The lesson for Labor Day 2025 is that America cannot survive when its people are enslaved economically.
John David is a Gazette-Mail contributing columnist.
