OPINION: Labor Day, a holiday for all of us

Monday, Sept. 4 is Labor Day. This annual day off work at the end of summer recognizes and honors the labor movement.

The labor movement exists to enable working people to speak with one voice, in unions.

Whether you believe in labor unions or not, whether you are represented by a labor union or not, this holiday is for you.

That’s because Labor Day marks more than the end of summer and the beginning of the school year.

Labor Day is a reminder of the long list of accomplishments made by labor to build better lives for working people.

Labor unions gave us the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, paid time off for vacation and sick leave. Labor unions secured child labor restrictions, aid for injured workers, workplace safety standards, and more.

We take many of these accomplishments for granted. But labor unions fought to attain them all.

For this and other reasons, labor unions are an essential part of a healthy economy. They foster a middle class of workers and families who can afford to buy a home, send kids to college, and retire in comfort.

Labor unions are essential to democracy too. Middle class people take part in civic activities. They pay attention to politics and they tend to vote regularly. Unions narrow the gap between the poor and the wealthy and they draw people together across cultural and gender boundaries.

In other words, labor unions enable working people to live together gracefully.

Labor unions give us a lot to celebrate.

That is why on the 4th of September the Kootenai Democrats encourage everyone to attend the North Idaho Central Labor Council Annual Labor Day Celebration. This fun event includes a combined Vintage Car Show and picnic with live music. The celebration will be held at Q’emiln Park in Post Falls from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food and beverages will be provided.

When working people speak with one voice they can obtain fairer working conditions in a country, like the USA, that favors corporations over workers. Or in a state, like Idaho, where a “right to work law” exempts employees from having to pay union dues and means lower unionization rates, and lower earnings for working people in general.

So on Labor Day, let’s take a moment to remember labor unions and the benefits we enjoy because of their work.

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Evan Koch is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.