# Should Labor Day be a day of mourning for the jobs lost over the past years?



## Ralphy1 (Aug 29, 2014)

The future of labor looks bleak as so many jobs are being outsourced and so many unions decimated.  At least a moment of silence should be considered between gulping down your brew...


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## MrJim (Aug 29, 2014)

The current unemployment rate is 6.2%.

Not considered to be that bad, from what I understand.


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## Ralphy1 (Aug 29, 2014)

But are the jobs in retail, fast food, etc.?  Not what we call good paying jobs?


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## Davey Jones (Aug 29, 2014)

*If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.
*


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## ClassicRockr (Aug 29, 2014)

Hey, it makes for a 3-day weekend, which also means.........PARTY, PARTY, PARTY!!


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## WhatInThe (Aug 29, 2014)

MrJim said:


> The current unemployment rate is 6.2%.
> 
> Not considered to be that bad, from what I understand.



Not great but not bad per say. Depending on the economist you listen to the unemployment numbers seem to be 3-5% or 5-7%. But it doesn't count under employed or those who never found a job before completing unemployment benefits. We are in a transition from a formal career society to a under the table cash what ever work you can find society with little or savings, investments or big ticket purchases like a house let alone appliances, cars etc.

Labor Day has been around for decades I want to know  where many of these people who came out of the woodwork were decades ago when outsourcing and down sizing started. I know union types couldn't give two hoots about the air traffic controllers being fired or Japan dumping cars on the US market before they actually evolved into a better car. I worked for big national corporation jobs that were part-timing decades ago, people who had "a" job at the time didn't give a crap about me or that these big national corporation were quietly downsizing using strategies that became the future/their future.


But yes maybe those long term unemployed and inversion & outsourcing companies/corporations should be prominently mentioned.


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## oldman (Aug 31, 2014)

The current unemployment rate as of 7/31 was 6.2%. The real unemployment number according to CNBC was 12.2%. 

I am sorry to see what has happened to the unions. The teachers union in PA is probably the strongest union in the Commonwealth. The Teamsters, IBEW, the UAW, the IAMAW and others have lost some and others have lost most of their hold over employers. 

The unions today have to cave or see more jobs moved from their present location to other states or off-shore. 

A lot of people blame the loss of union power or unions being decertified inside companies to 'greedy' workers. Yet, most of these same people will pay a lot of money to go watch an MLB baseball game, an NFL football game or an NBA basketball game. A friend of mine went to a game to watch the Rays and he said a beer was $8.00 in the stands. Incredible.


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## WhatInThe (Aug 31, 2014)

oldman said:


> The current unemployment rate as of 7/31 was 6.2%. The real unemployment number according to CNBC was 12.2%.
> 
> I am sorry to see what has happened to the unions. The teachers union in PA is probably the strongest union in the Commonwealth. The Teamsters, IBEW, the UAW, the IAMAW and others have lost some and others have lost most of their hold over employers.
> 
> ...



I'm amazed at the blind followers of sports. They are like sheep being herded into a cornucopia of adrenaline, greed, lust, gluttony and instant gratification. They enable and perpetuate corporate sports charity and still like to cry class warfare. We had a couple of ex NFLers who were prominent during an NFL strike close down and kick out a hotel union to build their own hotel complete with new non union employees. The 8 dollar per beer seems the norm. Look at baseball games in particular and look at the empty seats in a lot of cities. The game has priced out families and kids instead catering to corporate types and gamblers because that's who is driving the game/big cable packages. Problem is even the corporations are downsizing and outsourcing.

That being said unfortunately government unions are the majority union now. And they are fading fast. The thing is in decades gone by there were a lot of companies and industries that didn't have a union but offered work & pay you could live off of and retire on. They unions killed themselves always making it us against them. Throw in some greed and sense of entitlement they were toast. The ignorance of the work force still doesn't realize what a union has done and can do for them. If nothing else I would consider a union my lawyer for legal consultations.These big companies are running policy and decisions  through lawyers so why shouldn't the average employee be to get a legal consult on their workplace activity. 

Just keep those 8 dollars beers coming, no problem at all.


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## Warrigal (Aug 31, 2014)

An overall unemployment rate is one thing but what is the youth (up to 30yo) unemployment rate like? What is it like in certain regions? These figures will be multiples of 6.2% if America is anything like Australia.



> Should Labor Day be a day of mourning for the jobs lost over the past years?



Not at all. It should be a day for rallying and demanding action on job growth where it is needed.


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## Ralphy1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Most Americans are relaxing, and many are nursing a few brews, on this final unofficial end of summer. ..


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## oldman (Sep 1, 2014)

Ralphy1 said:


> Most Americans are relaxing, and many are nursing a few brews, on this final unofficial end of summer. ..



Yeah, and now we look forward to what is supposedly a lot of people's favorite season, Fall and the changing of the colors. Then in then latter part of the Fall season, we will wake up to frosty mornings and that is followed by three to four months of hibernation in the North. And this is why I bought a second home in Florida. I will be able to get outside and swim and do other activities. 

No more hunting and wearing five layers of clothing just to try to keep warm or shoveling and using a snow blower, so I can back the car out of the garage, no more slipping on ice. Some people love the winter and the scenery after a new snowfall. My Dad always did. Of course, he would set the heat at about 75 degrees in the house. He used to tell us kids, "I froze my a$$ off in WWII and I will never be cold again. DO NOT touch the thermostat."


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## Ralphy1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Great photos!  And I say that when I am going to die let it be on the last day of fall with snow in the forecast...


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## SifuPhil (Sep 1, 2014)

Agree with the growing dislike of winter - that's why Florida is my hoped-for destination.

Labor Day ... just another day to me. I've been self-employed a large part of my life, belonged to one union (electrical workers) only because it was a necessity for my position. They never did anything for me.

Nor did they ever do anything for my brother who was an electrician in a sugar refinery, after he was injured multiple times on the job and his diabetes kicked in. They took his dues for many years, but when he needed them the most they disappeared.

In my opinion, unions were useful back when working conditions were bleak. Now, even the lowliest worker should have the ability to just leave the job if they don't like the working conditions - they shouldn't rely upon the unions, because they'll end up being disappointed.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Sep 1, 2014)

What I am seeing in my own family is the change in what the younger,just starting out people,are having to do to to find and keep good jobs. My grandson had to leave California for Montana to complete an apprenticeship in his chosen field. He is married (1 year) and his wife is a new teacher and so has to stay here in order to complete her 2 year teaching requirement to get her credential. He flew home this weekend to the tune of $800.00 just so they could spend some time together. My son generally works 3-5 hours from home and only comes home on weekends. But tomorrow morning at 5am he leaves for out of state (Oregon) for probably 3-4 months as his company is currently "of of work" here in California. So it`s that or a layoff. He has a brand new baby that he will now only see every other weekend-IF he`s lucky. Sad what is happening to our young families.


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## Ralphy1 (Sep 2, 2014)

The middle class that developed after WW2 has collapsed and this collapse can be directly correlated to the collapse of unions.  Workers at any level of the economic spectrum are at the mercy of the vagaries of the corporations that control our economy as posters have mentioned about their young relatives...


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