Happy Labor Day 2016

Happy Labor Day, TransGriot readers!

This long weekend off to celebrate the last days of summer and allow to to hit the sales, take that last trip of the summer season, chill out and watch an orgy of college football is brought to you by the labor movement.

It is the labor movement that created this day to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the movement here in the USA and Canada.

And yeah, our Canadian cousins spell it a different way.   It's Labour Day in the Great White North.

After several states passed legislation starting in 1887 to recognize the Labor Day holiday, and act was passed by Congress in 1894 to make the first Monday in September a holiday,

So hope you are enjoying your holiday.  I know I'm definitely enjoying mine after my fave college team shocked the world again and beat Oklahoma.  

But once it's over, it back to work until Thanksgiving.   That day comes next month in Canada, but not until November for us.    And I hope to as I'm carving some turkey giving thanks that the sane American voters come out 63 days from now and I hear the words 'President-elect Hillary Clinton,'

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Happy Labor Day 2015

It's Labor Day in the US and Canada, which happens to be the considered in the US the unofficial end of the summer season.

But the actual purpose of Labor Day is to celebrate workers and the labor movement.   The current 40 day work week, Saturdays and Sundays off (for some folks) , the minimum wage, overtime, OSHA workplace regulations, collective bargaining, sick leave, child labor laws, retirement security,  and other worker friendly policies that helped build the middle class.

But ever since Ronald Reagan came into office, unions have been demonized and attacked by the Republicans, with negative effects to the American middle class.

A strong labor movement translates into livable wages for you  along with a safer workplace and civil rights advancement.

So as you soak up the rays on the beach, chow down at that barbecue and return from wherever you traveled to on this long weekend. ponder the fact that many of the things we American workers take for granted were union made.

Happy Labor Day people!

Happy Labor Day 2014!

Happy Labor Day people!   Hope it's a good one for you whether you are celebrating it from the cozy confines of your backward around the barbecue pit or enjoying it from some vacation spot of  significance to you like I am.

In the United States and Canada, this is a day to celebrate workers.  But what I have not been happy about as someone who grew up in a union household is seeing the conservafool assault on union and people foolishly believing the right wing propaganda that unions are evil.

People not getting a living wage and having to get public assistance while corporations make obscene profits is what is evil.   It's past time the minimum wage was raised in the US from the pathetic $7.25 it sits at right now.

For those of you who are engaged in searching for work, may those job searches be swiftly successful and you find employment that allows you to grow with the company.

For you entrepreneurs out there, may your businesses continue to grow and be successful    Speaking of  successful, may we continue to have success passing gender identity inclusive non-discrimination laws that will lead to increased employment for talented trans people.

And since we are rapidly approaching another crucial midterm election November 4, one of the questions you need to be asking your state and federal legislative candidates is where they stand on raising the minimum wage, passing legislation to eviscerate Citizens United and that bull feces corporatist assertion that corporations are people.

Yeah, I'll believe that crap when Texas executes one.

Happy Labor Day people!