Sharon Block is a Professor of Practice and the Executive Director of the Center for Labor and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School.
As a Labor Day gift for OnLabor readers, we’ve compiled Labor Day editorials and op-eds from around the country. While this list below isn’t exhaustive, it is representative of the Labor Day topics that our nation’s newspapers and media outlets are covering this year. A few observations:It is hard to be optimistic this Labor Day. The overwhelming majority of opinion writers warn that American workers are still struggling this far into the recovery from the Great Recession.
- President Trump comes under a great deal of criticism on today’s opinion pages for not living up to his campaign promises to American workers and for adopting policy that hurt middle and lower income workers.
- A couple of high profile writers – Rich Trumka and Sheryl Sandberg – focused on the need for paid leave.
- Many fast food workers have op-eds across the country amplifying the Fight for $15 message.
- Many writers issued calls for new thinking about labor law reform. (We’ll have more on this theme in an upcoming OnLabor post.)
- Most creative – a call by David Weil to rename Labor Day as Inequality Day.
Editorials:
- Washington Post, Labor Day Is Not Just a Day To Hang Around the Grill; https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/labor-day-is-not-just-a-day-to-hang-around-the-grill/2017/09/03/6538db6a-8f1c-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html?utm_term=.95bd2a323287
- Chicago Sun-Times, A Way To Protect Against Employers Low-Balling Your Pay; http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/editorial-a-way-to-protect-against-employers-low-balling-your-pay/
- Atlanta Journal Constitution, Rest, Reflection Are Good Choices this Weekend; http://www.myajc.com/news/opinion/opinion-rest-reflection-are-good-choices-this-weekend/s8Z8OMyufgEFKDbtUteFXP/
- Miami Herald, Salute the People Working on Our Behalf; http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article170996027.html
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Dignity of Labor: The Original Idea of Labor Day Resonates in 2017; http://www.postgazette.com/opinion/editorials/2017/09/04/The-dignity-of-labor-The-original-idea-of-Labor-Day-resonates-in-2017/stories/201709040013
- Tampa Bay Times, Workers Facing Familiar Challenges this Labor Day, http://web.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-workers-facing-familiar-challenges-this-labor-day/2335989
- Las Vegas Journal Review, Labor Day, 2017; https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-labor-day-2017/
- Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, This Labor Day, Reflect on Those Who Are Unemployed, http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/09/02/editorial-labor-day-reflect-those-who-unemployed/624528001/
- Lexington Herald Leader, Happy Labor Day? Workers Have Little To Celebrate, http://www.kentucky.com/opinion/editorials/article170864322.html
- Dallas Morning News, Want To Help American Workers? NAFTA, not protectionism, Is the Way To Go: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2017/08/31/want-help-american-workers-nafta-protectionism-way-go
- Lansing State Journal, Stop the Unnecessary Attack on State Worker Unions: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/09/01/editorial-stop-unnecessary-attack-state-worker-unions/613546001
- Bangor Daily News, Labor Day 2017: Higher Wages and Hot Dogs on the Menu, https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.bangordailynews.com/2017/09/03/opinion/editorials/labor-day-2017-higher-wages-and-hot-dogs-on-the-menu/
- Asbury Park Press, Rejuvenating Labor Is Hard Work; http://www.app.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/09/03/labor-day-right-work-big-business/105263298/
Op-Eds:
- Sharon Block, Newsweek, We Need Stronger Labor Unions To Protect the Middle Class; http://www.newsweek.com/we-need-stronger-labor-unions-protect-middle-class-658614
- William E. Forbath & Brishen Rogers, New York Times, A New Type of Labor Law for a New Type of Worker; https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/opinion/labor-laws-workers.html?ref=opinion
- Stephen Greenhouse, New York Times, Is Trump Really Pro-Worker;, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/is-trump-really-pro-worker.html?ref=opinion
- Robert Reich, San Francisco Chronicle, Trump No Champion of Average Worker; http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/reich/article/Trump-no-champion-of-average-worker-12168145.php
- Ronald Klain, Washington Post, Here’s the Most Important Thing Democrats Could Do To Help Working Families Now, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/heres-the-most-significant-thing-democrats-could-do-to-help-working-families-now/2017/09/01/455e8222-8e63-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html?utm_term=.ea7d12e37c80
- E.J. Dionne, Washington Post, American Workers Will Catch on to Trump’s Con; https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/american-workers-will-catch-on-to-trumps-con/2017/09/03/21d68348-90e0-11e7-8754-d478688d23b4_story.html?utm_term=.72173a34a29d
- Rich Trumka, Time, This Labor Day, Fight for Paid Leave, http://amp.timeinc.net/time/4923703/labor-day-paid-leave/?source=dam
- Larry Summers, Financial Times, America Needs Its Unions More than Ever; https://amp.ft.com/content/180127da-8e59-11e7-9580-c651950d3672
- Thomas A. Kochan & Lee Dyer, Boston Review, A New Social Contract for Work, https://bostonreview.net/class-inequality/thomas-kochan-lee-dyer-new-social-contract-work
- Moshe Z. Marvit, The American Prospect, The Way Forward for Labor Is Through the States, http://prospect.org/article/way-forward-labor-through-states
- Michael A. Cohen, Boston Globe, The Sorry State of American Labor, https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/09/01/the-sorry-state-american-labor/Zo1OTtJtWGw8aYkSvYwGrM/story.html?s_campaign=bdc:globewell:opinion
- Dorian Warren, Chicago Sun-Times, What Labor Day Means to My South Side and Black Union Family, http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/what-labor-day-means-to-my-south-side-and-black-union-family/
- Jonathan Tasini, CNN, Labor Day is a Good Time for the Truth on Unions, http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/02/opinions/the-truth-about-unions-tasini-opinion/index.html
- Andy Stettner & Michael McCormack, Companies Forgot to Bring the Pay Raises to the Labor Day Party, The Century Foundation: https://tcf.org/content/commentary/companies-forgot-bring-pay-raises-labor-day-party/
- Shaun Richman, The Right to Organize at Work Deserves Constitutional Protection: https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/9/1/16240036/labor-day-constitution-free-speech-unionization
- David Weil, Labor Day Should Really Be Called ‘Inequality Day; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/inequality-day_us_59a959fce4b0bef3378cd7af
- Art Pulaski, Sacramento Bee, This Labor Day, Let’s Remember the Value of Work, http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article169486122.html
- Neal Bisno, HuffPost, Working People Stopped Health Care Repeal. Now, We’re Fighting for Union Rights, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/working-people-stopped-health-care-repeal-now-were-fighting-for-union-rights_us_59a974abe4b0354e4409d4af?123123123
- Sheryl Sandberg & Rachel Thomas, Washington Post, Celebrate Labor Day by Supporting National Paid Family Leave, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/celebrate-labor-day-by-supporting-national-paid-family-leave/2017/09/01/9d2a8c42-8f50-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?utm_term=.3e257c62b086
- Dewey McClain, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Points To Hopefully Agree on this Labor Day; http://www.myajc.com/news/opinion/opinion-points-hopefully-agree-this-labor-day/t3ij0oTrvSTwbD8qAIDn7H/
- Valarie Long, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Unions Made All the Difference in my Life; http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/09/unions_made_all_the_difference_1.html
- Ontario Pope, Riverfront Times, Politicians Just Cut My Pay and That’s Why Missouri Needs Union Protections; https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2017/09/01/politicians-just-cut-my-pay-and-thats-why-missouri-needs-union-protection
- William Barber II, Newsweek, Why All Americans Need Strong Labor Unions, http://www.newsweek.com/why-all-americans-need-strong-labor-unions-656415
- Tom Balanoff & Greg Kelley, Chicago Sun-Times, When Labor Was Strong, America Was Strong, http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/when-labor-was-strong-america-was-strong/
- Bill Thompson, Kansas City Star, I Am the Real Face of the Minimum Wage, http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article169474487.html
- Wanda Coker, Durham County Herald Sun, I Grew Up in a Union Household. Why I’m Fighting for My Grandkids To Say the Same, http://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article170595997.html
- Michael Sylvester, Minnesota Post, Does Anyone Truly Remember or Know What Labor Day is About?, https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2017/08/does-anyone-truly-remember-or-know-what-labor-day-about
- Chris Owns, Fortune, These Labor Laws Are Suppressing Black Workers; http://fortune.com/2017/09/04/
labor-day-2017-right-to-work- unions/
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
November 4
Disney defends employment discrimination; UC student workers vote 99% for strike; Starbucks violates labor law (again).
November 3
Swedish unions take on Tesla, Starbucks and the NLRB litigate make-whole remedies, and workers at Waffle House organize for better better pay and conditions.
October 31
Unions make a final push in election campaigning and Lyft settles with FTC over misleading driver earnings claims.
October 30
Google's union announces unfair labor practice charge; NLRB shows growth in student unions; USW counting on clean energy
October 29
Volkswagen reveals plans to shut down German factories; Fifth Circuit allows pilots union’s lawsuit against Southwest to proceed; and USA Today features the role of union workers in the election.
October 28
5th Circuit overturned a ruling ordering Elon Musk to delete a tweet threatening workers stock options if they unionized; transportation workers vote to authorize a strike of SEPTA