Opinion: Labor Day isn’t just a vacation day

Lindsay Farrell is the executive director of the Connecticut Working Families Party. This column appeared Monday on CT News Junkie.

On Labor Day, many of us will have a day off. We’ll go to the beach, or host a BBQ, and enjoy the end of summer. But it is important to remember that today is not just a day off.

There is a purpose and a history behind the holiday. In 1887 Labor Day was officially established to commemorate the labor movement, and the economic advances of workers and laborers. But today as our economy shifts, many of the advances made by the labor movement are eroding. The Working Families Party was established to combat that. We give workers and their families a voice in our government, and fight for an economy that will work for everyone, not just the rich.

While many of us will have the day off, a growing number of workers will be on the job. Restaurant cooks and servers, retail workers, and grocery store staff, to name just a small segment, will not get the day off. It is a sign of our changing economy, and a prime example of workers losing ground. Our middle class is disappearing and economic inequality is reaching extreme levels. Wages are flat or falling, benefits like paid vacation time and retirement savings opportunities are a luxury instead of the norm, and job security is a thing of the past.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.