Ah, Labor Day. Time to fire up the grill. Or throw camping gear in the trunk. Or pack a picnic basket.
Or is it time to head for a rally to hear pep talks about labor unions, wages, job conditions and the state of working people?It's a little of both, and what's wrong with that? asks Ed Mayne, president of Utah's 74,000-member AFL-CIO.
"I suspect for the average American that it's a three-day holiday and the official end of summer, but I think that it's hard to miss what the day is all about. It's kind of like Thanksgiving or Christmas. People know what it's about," Mayne said.
"People know more so today than ever before. People are recognizing the importance of what Labor Day stands for and how it's a reflection of gains labor has made," he said.
Organized labor hit a low point in 1981 when President Reagan fired 11,000 striking air-traffic controllers. A good share of jobs went to replacement workers, the airlines flew as usual and Reagan was so convinced the skies would be safe that he promptly went on vacation.
Since then, labor has slowly regained ground in various regional battles and has strongly sought female and minority membership.
Labor is particularly rejoicing over its most visible national success with the recent Teamster strike against UPS that resulted in a settlement that most analysts agreed favored the union.
"That was acclaimed as such a major victory for working families nationwide because it was the first victory in a service-oriented trade," Mayne said. "The service sector has been an area that's been elusive because it's traditionally had low wages, lots of people work-ing part time, people in and out of the work force, and a high turnover of businesses.
"This has been the first major victory because it focused on the problems that all workers are having - part time and temporary people working without benefits," Mayne said. "There is a need for part time and temporary employment, but it was getting out of hand in America. This was a wake-up call to employers."
The national AFL-CIO office also cites other successes including a strike by the Machinists union at Boeing affecting 35,000 employees that produced "a very good contract," according to Richard Greer, federation spokesman.
The national federation also hails a successful "virtual strike" by 35,000 members of the Communication Workers of America at Bell-Atlantic, new contracts by United Auto Workers and "comeback" contracts by the Steelworkers Union Bridgestone-Firestone and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel.
"These (Steelworkers Union strikes) were long strikes, and many people assumed that the workers would lose, but they ended up with very good contracts," Greer said. "These were definite victories for workers."
Membership in the AFL-CIO has stabilized on the national scene and has grown in Utah. "The numbers after a decade of steady decline have stopped declining. There are more than 13 million members affiliated with the AFL-CIO," Greer said.
In Utah, AFL-CIO membership has climbed from 60,000 in 1987 to nearly 74,000 today. There also are about 20,000 Utahns in unions or associations that do not come under the AFL-CIO umbrella.
Labor Day was informally launched in 1882 by machinist Matthew Maguire and carpenter Peter McGuire who helped organize the first Labor Day parade in New York City.
President Grover Cleveland officially declared it a national holiday in 1894.
This Labor Day, many unions have planned barbecues, speeches and other activities. The Steelworkers Local 2701 was to hold a picnic at Lagoon Monday.
"We probably will have more representatives from organized labor than most places will. It's not uncommon for some dignitaries to show up at the picnic," said Dick Andrew, Lagoon director of marketing.
The AFL-CIO was to sponsor an entry in the Miner's Day parade and musicians in the park in Park City.
But the traditional AFL-CIO-sponsored concert, which will be held in Murray Park, has been delayed until Friday, Sept. 5.
Why?
"So more people will be available to see it," Mayne said. "We're competing with the native trout at Strawberry Reservoir."
Those people won't be listening to speeches Monday.
Mayne, who plans to "give about 15 speeches and eat 40 hot dogs" on Labor Day, asks what's wrong with leisure activities on Labor Day?
"What better tribute to a Labor Day holiday than people just doing what they want to do - with the reflection of why it happened and what we are celebrating and the struggles of those who came before us?"