Labor Day

Today is Labor Day, a great national holiday, a day to celebrate the American worker, to celebrate the ordinary citizen.

This day is meant to honor laborers, it is a day to honor work. It is meant to be a day of rest, repose and respite.

I am not working and that is unusual, though it is the third year in a row, so it may be that this is becoming a norm.

Prior to this time in my life, there were perhaps three or four Labor Days in the last twenty-five years, came and went where I has the day off. I cannot recall when, or what I did.

I spent most of my life working in the hospitality sector. There are many restaurants that close, giving their staff the day off, but there are many others who see this as an opportunity to “make hay,” as they say, never mind the lives of the staff whose labor the business depends on.

Forget about them, do not honor them, squeeze out a little more profit if you can.

The last restaurant I worked in, they were open on Labor Day, they are open today. It will see ten maybe twelve thousand dollars in revenue, double the haul for an ordinary Monday. It will busy, all hands on deck, there will be forty staff members toiling away; cooking, serving, cleaning.

The owners will promote the experience to the staff as an opportunity for binding, and team cohesion, I only see bondage in it.

Like most restaurants, that establishment sees ten percent profit or less on average, and the owners will not flinch at the prospect of ruining the holiday for forty people, to put about a thousand dollars in the bank.

They will pretend that the staff should be happy to work, on such a busy day, happy…to earn a little extra money…never mind having the opportunity to relax and reflect with family and friends

This is Labor Day in America, and many people are working, far too many people. Though, it is virtually guaranteed that the bankers, the office managers, and the whole white collar world have taken this day for themselves, while paying themselves too.

Well paid, well rested managers, and owners…I guess the world needs more of those, and while they are relaxing someone needs to be on task to pour their coffee, to serve their brunch to fuel their frolicking.

Happy Labor Day, you laborers!

Strike and Unite!

2019.09.02

Given 1^st - 2016.09.05