“At all times, for any task, you haven’t got enough done today.” – Grinnell’s Law of Labor Laxity

The first Monday in September has become a demarcation on the calendar for the end of summer, the onset of fall, and the beginning of school – a transition overshadowing the purpose of Labor Day. The holiday’s activities have been attenuated from the intent to honor, “the contributions workers have made to strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” to become a national personal business day. Without much thought given to working men and women, past or present, people enjoy picnics, barbecues, and taking advantage of sales promotions.

That one doesn’t feel connected and celebratory to an organized labor movement is not surprising — working people have been caricaturized based on a workforce that has changed significantly. In 1970, the top employers included the big three auto manufacturers and US Steel, with a male dominated, blue-color, and unionized workforce. Out of the top tier 2020, these companies have been replaced by Walmart, Amazon, FedEx, and MacDonald’s. Employees are often working mothers, college educated with a hefty loan balance, or older adults, and not represented by a union.

“You don’t get reported or written up by managers, you get reported by an algorithm.” – Rina Cummings, Amazon distribution center, JFK8

Mass merchandising and distribution of consumer non-durable goods dominates commerce in the American economy of today. Amazon makes 353 million products available, delivered through a system called, “fulfillment by Amazon,” in a 2.6 million sq. ft. facility, 3,000 employees pick, pack, and send out five million items weekly. A mixture of robotic and manual actions along a continuous flow processing system supports the volume – each hour, pickers are expected to select and scan 1,800 items and packers to box 700 items, timed and recorded.

“Unions: The Folks That Brought You Weekends” – UAW bumper sticker

Whether the country is better off is debatable, but it is undeniable that organized labor in the form of unions, has lost membership and influence. The United Auto Workers that had 1.5 million members in 1979 now has 430,000. The advantage of withholding labor with a strike has declined as well — there were 288 reported in the 1970s and only 13 between 2010-2017. Millions of working men and women aren’t a part of a dialogue on issues that impact labor.

We can begin to give to Labor Day by thinking of those who work to make our lives comfortable. Be friendly and courteous to the workers you encounter around town. Remember, the dynamics of the job market change and our community is not immune. National retailers and fast food provide the most obvious places of employment in Alpena, but there are opportunities beyond for those who seek. Enjoy your Labor Day!

“It is not wealth asked for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank, and independent.” – W. Somerset Maugham, playwright