Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September of every year. The day is a combination of the labor movement and dedication to the social and economic achievements of American Workers reported The United States Department of Labor, “It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contribution workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
There is some debate as to who the founder of Labor Day is - some records show Peter J. McGuire as the first person to propose the holiday whereas recent research shows Matthew Maguire as the founder. Even though the true founder remains in question, we should be thankful that Labor Day is recognized as a nationwide holiday that gives recognition to the common industrious worker.
America has come along way since the 1930’s when many of the economic reforms were passed which included the Social Security Act and the National Labor Relations Act. Yet, there is still more that needs to be accomplished. ColorLines, an online news and take action source, highlighted the following five-workplace reforms that need solutions.
Workfare Workers
The welfare reform law in 1996 created Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF). States expanded their “workfare” programs, in which cash-assistance recipients are required to work for their benefits. Employers who receive subsidies to hire these workers are essentially invited to exploit them, aware that recipients will lose both paychecks and assistance if they resist. In California, the group LIFETIME is organizing women in TANF to demand better.
Tipped Workers
The federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 per hour, and it has not changed in nearly 20 years. Along with servers, some back-of-the-house workers are also tipped. It is common practice for managers to steal tips from workers in an illegal practice known as “tipping the house,” where servers have to share their tips with managers. The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United is organizing in workplaces nationwide to raise the federal minimum wage for tipped workers.
Domestic Workers
Domestic workers include nannies, housekeepers and companions to people who are elderly or ill. There are some 200,000 domestic workers in the U.S. The National Domestic Workers Alliance includes organizations working to protect their rights in California, Maryland, North Carolina and many other states. The New York Domestic Workers Coalition, which includes Latinas, South Asians and Caribbean women, and Domestic Workers United, recently won the first Bill of Rights in New York State. The International Labor Organization will soon pass a global convention on decent work for domestic workers.
Farmworkers
In 1966 farmworkers were included in the Fair Labor Standards Act, but they still are not covered by the National Labor Relations Act. Yet agriculture is among the top five most dangerous occupations in the country. Farmworkers risk pesticide exposure and live in chronically bad housing. Nearly 75 percent nationwide earn less than $10,000 a year. In Florida, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has helped win “fair food agreements” from fast food chains.
Day Laborers
Anti-immigrant rhetoric makes the lives of day laborers difficult. Although they are eligible for minimum wage and health and safety protections, the formal complaint processes are tough to access, especially if they are undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, cities and states are creating “loitering” laws to drive day laborers out, although the demand for their work remains strong. The National Day Labor Organizing Network is pushing back.
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