Labor Day isn’t just about ribs and R&R

What comes to mind when you think of Labor Day? Summer ending? Barbeque? Football season underway? Public schools going back in session?

All are valid.

But how about working people’s rights, dignity and fair wages that many of our ancestors fought so hard to achieve?

Maintaining those rights is why now, more than 100 years after the first Labor Day Parade in New York City, people still march all over the nation. In 1882, unionists proposed that a day be set aside to honor working people. Today, we salute that tradition.

It’s trendy to knock unions, and some of them deserve knocking. But before the union movement, the United States was cursed in the early 20th century with sweatshops, child labor and horrid working conditions.

Many workers had their skulls cracked open while marching for fair wages and decent treatment on the job. Today, even those Americans who never belonged to unions benefit from the reforms that were achieved.

Meanwhile, some politicians belittle these contributions, and seem intent on destroying unions and the protections they provide.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in this election cycle, has relentlessly demonized and crippled his state’s unions. He virtually ended collective bargaining for teachers, sanitation workers and other employees.

It’s no accident that income inequality has risen as union membership has declined. A report released last week by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. think-tank, concludes that the share of men in unionized, private-sector jobs plunged from 34 percent in 1979 to 10 percent today.

Many workers feel that the economic deck is stacked against them, and income inequality has spiraled out of control — and they’re not wrong. The nation’s top 1 percent controls 35.6 percent of all private wealth, more than the bottom 95 percent put together.

Those marching in this year’s Labor Day parades want to see police officers, teachers, nurses and other working men and women get a fair shake. They don’t take sick days, fair pay and safe conditions in the workplace for granted. They know that without constant vigilance, those hard-won rights and benefits can easily disappear.

So if you’re at a barbecue, the beach or just relaxing in the backyard today, take a moment to think about the real meaning of Labor Day.

Many sacrificed their jobs and livelihoods so that you could have this day off to relax and enjoy life.

Playwright Mike Vogel blogs at newyorkgritty.net.