Happy, um, Labor Day?

\"Happy Labor Day" is not a phrase that was spoken with frequency on Monday (yes, I know, "Happy Labor Day" doesn't have quite the ring of "Merry Christmas"). But, I seriously question how many students knew it was Labor Day, and, more significantly, how many thought about the holiday's meaning.\nToo often, the only discussion of Labor Day at IU consists of complaints about having to attend class on the holiday. "How dare the administration make us go to class on a day that represents … it represents … uh … well, how dare they?" That might be sort of how the refrain goes. \nSadly, Labor Day has become better known as the "end of summer" than as a celebration of workers and their contributions to this country. Every day, each of us encounters numerous workers -- from trash collectors to waiters, who make our lives easier. Just think what would happen if, for example, every hospital janitor went on strike for a few days. Jobs such as this may seem menial, but every worker should be respected for the hard work he or she puts forth to keep our lives, and this country, running.\nBut, it is not only average citizens who are sometimes prone to overlook working people; the American government often does the same.\nOne way this lack of concern manifests itself is in the unfair free trade policies becoming increasingly prevalent in American policy. Basically, many American trade policies, which decrease American tariffs on imported products, are giving companies incentives to close up American factories (and fire well paid workers) and move to countries where wages are low and environmental standards are, frequently, non-existent. \nAdvocates of unfair free-trade policies (I must use the qualifier "unfair" because free trade policies, which respect labor and environmental standards, can be fair) claim that by opening markets, we will export more American products, when, in fact, the only thing we are exporting is American jobs. In fact, Public Citizen, a public interest group, reports the North American Free Trade Agreement (America's largest such agreement) has cost this country at least 363,121 jobs in its eight-year existence. Other tariff-reducing agreements have had the same chilling effect on quality American jobs.\nInstead of these anti-worker free trade policies, the United States should work toward policies that provide incentives to other countries to increase worker and environmental conditions. \nUnfortunately, President Bush doesn't feel the same way. The president spent Labor Day with unions touting job creation under his administration. What the president failed to mention is that much of the job-creation in recent years (due to unfair trade policies) has been that of low-paying (think Wal-Mart) service sector jobs. These workers often see their rights trampled by companies that don't pay fair wages and will close stores before allowing workers to unionize.\nThe president also failed to mention his administration oversaw a decrease in workplace safety standards. Yet, on Labor Day, he carries the mantra of being pro-worker and pro-union.\nSo, while the president's actions and words contradict, all Americans should consider the plight of workers here and abroad. The jobs that have been, and are being, lost in the United States are the jobs our parents rely on and the jobs we will rely on someday. We should not only be concerned about labor causes because others have families to feed, but, also, because we will someday have families to feed, too.