On this "Black Friday," the busiest shopping day of the year, let's all take a deep breath and spare a thought for the retail workers -- many of them overworked and underpaid -- who will be working hard today to help us find that perfect bargain.
And while we're at it, let's give thanks to everyone who's on the job today, the day after Thanksgiving, keeping things running for those fortunate enough to have the day off. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1883, some 10,000 New Orleans workers, Black and White, participated in a solidarity parade of unions comprising the Central Trades and Labor Assembly. The parade was so successful it was repeated the following two years. In 1946, teachers struck in St. Paul, Minnesota, the first organized walkout by teachers in the country. The month-long “strike for better schools” involving some 1,100 teachers—and principals—led to a number of reforms in the way schools were administered and operated. And in 1983, Canadian postal workers, protesting a Post Office decision to offer discounts to businesses but not individuals, announced that for one week they would unilaterally reduce postage costs by about two-thirds. Today's labor quote is by Barack Obama "It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans. The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label."
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