Let's Make Every Day Labor Day!

[ Monday September 3, 2007 American's celebrate the Labor Day holiday]

Let's Make Every Day Labor Day!

No, we don't mean let's take every day off from work (although it sounds like
a nice idea). Nor do we mean we should have massive traffic jams of returning
summer vacationers every day either.

But Labor Day is supposed to mean something more than a day off or the end of
summer vacation. Labor Day, we are told, is a day to recognize the
contributions of working men and women here in America. The fact that almost every other
country in the world celebrates labor on May 1 has to do with those who, over
100 years ago, worked to split the American labor movement away from the rest
of the world labor movement.

But wait a second…no matter what day we celebrate, didn't working people
create all the wealth of this country? Don't we keep the offices, schools,
factories and other workplaces running? And for that we get one lousy day a year?

We are also told Labor Day is a day for the labor movement to show its
strength, to flex its political muscles. While too often this has mean cozying up to
politicians (who just go ahead and continue to screw us the next day) still,
we couldn't object to any show of strength for workers. But why not show our
power every day of the year?

To make the power of working people in society an every day matter we need a
labor movement not tied down by high-paid bureaucrats or political hacks but
free to set its own course based on the needs of all its members. We need a
movement without divisions by trade or craft but based on unity of interests. We
need a movement which has banished racism, sexism, homophobia and all forms of
discrimination and is based on equality and freedom for all. We need a
movement which is based on full democracy, not top down bossism. We need a movement
which is militant and uncompromising in terms of our needs and interests, not
willing to settle for crumbs.

The kind of movement we are talking about can only be rebuilt from the bottom
up, starting in our various workplaces and communities. It should not only
seek all the goals we stated above, but should function like the type of society
that we want to build. To succeed, it needs the participation of all those
left out of the ranks of power, profit and privilege, not only the workers of
today but those who were and those who one day will be working people.

We call this type of movement anarchist unionism. Even if you don't agree
with everything we say, but if you at least agree that the current state of the
labor movement is not to your liking, or even if you just to discuss the
situation further, get in touch.

Workers Solidarity Alliance
NJ-NY Area Group
339 Lafayette Street - Room 202
New York, NY 10012
[email protected]
www.workersolidarity.org