Labor Day is BS

Ever since I lost my paraprofessional job, Holidays have lost all meaning to me. In retail there are no holidays. EVERYDAY IS DAY FOR SHOPPING, which means everyday is the same. I can’t even say I am working for the weekend because I often work the weekends. There is literally nothing to look forward to (except the possibility of getting a “real job” and quitting this one) I am forced to work Holidays and most retail stores are open normal hours for Holidays…Very rarely do the close early...in fact they are more likely to open early and close later than to shutdown early on a Holiday. 9 times out of 10, you paid regular pay for working the holiday because the company doesn’t consider this day a “real holiday”—not that it stops them from opening an hour early or having “special sales” that particular day.

Out of all the so called holidays that I am required to work, one the ones that pisses me off the most is bullshit labor day. According to Wikipedia, “Labor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country.” It is a slap in the face. As a worker, it means that this day, that is supposed to celebrate me and my fellow workers….how do I get to accomplish this, you ask? By going to work like I do any other day. For me, the person that this holiday is supposed to be dedicated for, it is not a special day at all. It is just a day without mail. I am not alone in this. More American’s work retail than any other industry. Almost 25% of all jobs in the USA are retail jobs. Only 3% of those in retail are part of union (which is how the stores get away with scheduling us on holidays.)

So I don’t get a day off because ‘Murica needs to shop. There is not one holiday in this country which isn’t used an excuse to shop. Why is that? What is wrong with America? Can’t we do anything else but spend money? Are all our lives so completely empty that the only way to fill the void in our nation’s collective soul is buy some shiny new trinket? Something that can momentarily distract us from the pain and sorrow that we call life. It is disgusting and sad.

Labor Day was founded 128 years about by the Central Labor Union. At the time there were much social unrest at the state of labor in America. The Haymarket Massacre in Chicago was one of the worst cases. This started out as a peaceful rally but ended up as a riot. In order to quell the violence, President Cleveland quickly signed a law making Labor Day an official US Holiday. It was originally supposed be on May 1rst but the President thought it was too close to the date of the Haymarket Massacre so he changed the date to September. We have become complacent. Maybe we need to stand up for ourselves. Not that I am advocating “Blood in the Streets,” but back then the government had some healthy fear of the common worker.

I doubt I could get people to stop shopping on Labor Day. All the customers I saw today, wished me a “happy holiday,” when they knew I wasn’t going to have one. After all how could I? I am working on day I should have off. AND THEY KNEW THAT but they didn’t care. They need buy stuff to break up the monotony of their daily existence . I have worked many holidays, but there is something about working Labor Day, that just sticks in my craw. Perhaps it wouldn’t both me so much it was called something else. Renaming the so-called holiday would be much easier that getting ‘Murica to close their wallets.