When you think of labour day, you assume it was the brainchild of some tree huggin‘ Canadian or similar minded forward thinking country but in fact the Labour movement was born in the good ol‘ U.S.A. The idea of unions and worker’s rights was bred in the land known (and often hated by some ass backward countries) for it’s capitalists.
Samuel Gompers, an American, is the one to thank for the eight hour work days and worker’s compensation. He organized the American Federation of Labour and was their president for many years and helped make the American work force one of the highest paid in the world.
Ironically, another American named Sam, Sam Walton created an outlet for merchandise that is mainly made in non-unionized countries with low standards of living and deplorable work conditions with no benefits, which has led to some North American suppliers close their factories here and ship jobs off-shore. Go figure.
Something to think about as you chow down on chicken and tater salad at a Labour Day picnic. In honor of labour day, here’s a few videos with an obvious theme that relates to the nature of this much welcomed holiday.