Labor Day marks the end of Summer, probably because school starts or has started. Technically summer doesn’t end for a few more weeks.
I have used most of these pictures before to commemorate Labor Day. You will notice that almost all of the workers are white. Last year I added a new picture of a hat factory that was partitioned off so that black women could work there.
Most of the jobs in the pictures don’t exist anymore. Back then wages were enough to pay for a place to live, food, and medical care too.
Working conditions for many have improved over the last 100 years but work is still work. It was once thought that technology would replace workers and it has but no one ever expected technology to be in charge of so many workers. I am thinking of those who work in warehouses, large discount chains, and call centers.
Some jobs are broken down into pieces so that each individual worker does part of a job, over and over. Many jobs don’t pay well enough so that the worker can afford life’s necessities.
Our brand of predatory capitalism is part of the reason why so many workers can’t have nice things but their bosses and the people who own the companies can.
On a happier note labor unions are experiencing a resurgence. I think we need strong labor unions.
The photos came from Flickr commons where there is a treasure trove of old photographs.
Happy Labor Day!
