With liberty and labor for all

Seemed we got the job done.

Party all day, party all night. We were greeted by red cup remnants and barbecue residue scattered along our route to class Tuesday after Labor Day.

Five minutes behind and two aspirin later, we were counting down to tailgate time.It took until only 11:01 p.m. Monday for curiosity to get the best of a friend, who invoked the trivial question, “what did we celebrate?”

It’s more than a few hot dogs, Heinekens and hangovers. Labor Day is the day we honor the American worker.

When 10,000 laborers marched in Union Square on Sept. 5, 1882,  employed union workers came together to celebrate the working man, the holiday we now know as our first long weekend on the academic calendar.

Determined to jump start the American economy, labor workers in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days at minimum wage in conditions our generation wouldn’t consider.

With the idea of work breaks and job perks eliminated, they never lost the determination to make do in dismal economic times and somehow support their families.

There is no arguing that these American workers needed a day to enjoy a round of Sink the Biz and receive an appreciation card.

Today, you can’t ignore the deficit if you tried. Even if you ran from the news headlines, you can’t help but feel it in your lighter wallets, your parents’ finances or even your friends’ sacrifices. Scrimmaging on job searches and struggling with spending, the American workers are back to signing waivers in order to make do.

Living la vida loca in our wonderful college bubble, it’s hard to remember what awaits us on the outside.

If you are lucky enough to snag a job, the benefits won’t be as dreamy in today’s mad-money world as earning a college degree promised they would be.

Labor Day serves a purpose. It is an office conference call for all, a reminder on our desks and a highlighted note in our reading. Work may be laborious, but a position is a privilege.

The days of high demand for workers have dwindled, reminding us to never take an offer for granted.

If you are employed, give yourself a pat on the back. If you are living the college student dream, don’t forget why you go to class.

If you are waiting for the perfect offer, drop the superiority and start at the bottom of the ladder. Don’t forget the workers who were driven by determination, dodging the doozies to ultimately earn the prize.

Don’t disregard today’s workforce, sacrificing the glamorous benefits to keep their spot on the invite list. Forget the pity and acknowledge your average worker with a little more respect.Take a day off to celebrate

summer and soak up the fun, but not at the expense of forgetting why we take off for the workers. In the real world, the lucky ones on payroll can’t simply plan their schedule so they can sleep past noon.

We can only hope that our IU diplomas will stand out among all the others and admit us to the workforce.

Take those aspirin, along with a seat in class, and pick up some determination so that you will one day once again have the privilege of taking Labor Day off.

­— Espitzer@indiana.edu