Labor Day

Why should all of us set aside one day a year to honor labor? The simple answer is that all of the necessities and luxuries that many of us enjoy are produced by labor, plus much more. The labor movement has been in the forefront of most social and political reforms throughout our history.

I would guess that most people are unaware of the important reforms for which organized labor has fought. For example during the period of 1827-1934, which labor historians call the “equal citizenship” period, the labor movement agitated for the right to vote and hold office without property qualification; the abolition of imprisonment for debt; direct election of senators; and most radical and controversial of all--universal public education.

Universal public education was bitterly opposed by the conservative business interests. A typical question in those days was, “If we educate working men’s children, who is going to do the work?”

In the 1860s the National Labor Union admitted both blacks and women, in addition to pushing its economic programs such as the movement for an eight-hour day.

Many of us have benefited by the struggles of those gone before us. I am proud to celebrate Labor Day as a union member of the California School Employees Assn.

ALICE R. GOMEZ

Pomona