Quote of the Day -- On Fair, Living Wages

Surprising, If Disappointing, Continuity From 1912 To Today

We think we've made vast, huge leaps of progress in workers rights and pay and all kinds of things in the workplace and on a lot, we certainly have, sure. But check out this list of things called for in 1912 for workers.  We are still, more than 100 years later, working for far too many of these, not least of which is a "living wage", rather famously right now.

I'm a "Progressive" and this is what we stand for (from a 1912 document)

-Effective legislation looking to the prevention of industrial accidents, occupational diseases, overwork, involuntary unemployment, and other injurious effects incident to modern industry;

-The fixing of minimum safety and health standards for the various occupations, and the exercise of the public authority of State and Nation, including the Federal Control over interstate commerce, and the taxing power, to maintain such standards;

-The prohibition of child labor;

-Minimum wage standards for working women, to provide a “living wage” in all industrial occupations;

-The general prohibition of night work for women and the establishment of an eight hour day for women and young persons;

-One day’s rest in seven for all wage workers;  (okay, let's make this two out of the seven, mkay?)

-The eight hour day in continuous twenty-four hour industries;

-The abolition of the convict contract labor system;

-Standards of compensation for death by industrial accident and injury and trade disease which will transfer the burden of lost earnings from the families of working people to the industry, and thus to the community;

-The protection of home life against the hazards of sickness, irregular employment and old age through the adoption of a system of social insurance adapted to American use;

-The development of the creative labor power of America by lifting the last load of illiteracy from American youth and establishing continuation schools for industrial education under public control and encouraging agricultural education and demonstration in rural schools;

-We favor the organization of the workers, men and women, as a means of protecting their interests and of promoting their progress

Really, When Did This Happen?

And why did we let it happen?

Labor Day, 2017

#Strongertogether

Quote of the Day -- On America and Capitalism

“Thus did a handful of rapacious citizens come to control all that was worth controlling in America. Thus was the savage and stupid and entirely inappropriate and unnecessary and humorless American class system created. Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage. And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed. Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun.”

― Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater