Today, as most of us are making room on our plates for second helpings or thumbing through ads for the best Black Friday deals, the men and women who will ring up our purchases are heading to work. Why are they making this sacrifice? Often, it’s for survival. Some work on the holiday because they don’t dare risk losing their jobs by putting their families first. Others can’t afford not to take advantage of the extra hours and pay they’ll earn for working on the holiday. Jobs With Justice is standing with retail employees and calling for fair wages and schedules throughout the year so that no one has to depend on working holiday shifts to make ends meet; add your voice to the call for justice by going to dclabor.org and taking the pledge to stand with retail employees in the fight for better jobs and better lives.
Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1936, some 1,200 workers sat down at Midland Steel in Detroit, forcing recognition of the United Auto Workers. And in 1937, the pro-labor musical revue, “Pins & Needles” opened on Broadway with a cast of garment workers union members. The show ran on Friday and Saturday nights only, because of the cast’s regular jobs; The original cast was made up of cutters, basters, and sewing machine operators, all members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. The revue was also performed in 1938 in the White House for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Today’s labor quote is from “One Big Union For Two” one of the songs from “Pins & Needles”: I'm on a campaign to make you mine I'll picket you until you sign In one big union for two No courts and junction can make me stop Until your love is all closed shop In one big union for two Seven days a week I want the right To call you mine both day and night The hours may be long But fifty million union members can't be wrong
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