Labor Day Weekend, the last weekend of summer, is an opportunity to take a trip, spend time on the lake, or have a cookout. Those are all great ways to celebrate and honor the sacrifices made by our ancestors in the Labor Movement because, ideally, you aren’t at work laboring!

In the past, employees were at the mercy of employers.  There were no laws about sick leave, minimum wages, or weekends.  Laborers worked twelve hour days, six days a week for such little money, it was common for children to leave school to make money for their family to survive.  Getting a high school diploma was not common, with less than 10% of students graduating in 1900.

At the same time, businesses were growing and becoming more industrialized. Owners, such as Rockefeller and Carnegie, lived in mansions and made millions.  This was the era of the Gilded Age.

Employees realized not only did they not have a future, neither did their children or grandchildren.  Change had to happen.  At risk of death, they banded together to demand better.  It wasn’t until 1935 that the federal government gave legal protections to labor unions and collective bargaining.

It is with this history in mind, that I am proud to be the President of the Albert Lea Education Association (ALEA), the local teachers’ union.  Unions have made it possible for educators to stay in one district and make a sustainable living for their families. Prior to unions, it was common for teachers to be let go each year, forcing them to relocate and start again on the bottom of the pay scale.

Today, unions work with district leaders to attract quality educators who can work and retire in the same district.  We work to provide mentoring and instructional coaching opportunities to help teachers grow professionally, as well as professional development opportunities to keep educators updated on best practices (you know these as days off from school!).

It should be noted that as working conditions and wages improved and with the passage of compulsory attendance laws, graduation rates have improved significantly.   For example, last year’s graduation rate at ALHS was 86.4%, quite an improvement from 10% a hundred years ago!  This is good for individuals, families and our nation’s economy because more education results in better paying jobs.

Maybe you will have the opportunity to join a union someday and join the rank and file of employees who believe if you work 40 hours a week, you should be able to provide for your family.  We can’t take union rights for granted; they can be taken away at any time if they aren’t safeguarded.  This would erode working conditions for everyone, not just labor union jobs.

But, in the meantime, enjoy your Labor Day cookout.  Try some local ingredients made by union workers, such as Hormel brats with Old Dutch Potato Chips dipped in Top the Tater washed down with some 1919 Root Beer and Kemp’s Ice Cream for dessert!

Happy Labor Day!!