Labor Day Is A Joke

Harold Meyerson has some strong words for what labor used to be like and what it has devolved into.

Devaluing labor is the very essence of our economy. I know that airlines are a particularly embattled industry, but my eye was recently caught by a story on Mesaba Airlines, an affiliate of Northwest, where the starting annual salary for pilots is $21,000 a year, and where the company is seeking a pay cut of 19 percent. Maybe Mesaba's plan is to have its pilots hit up passengers for tips.

Labor Day is almost upon us. What a joke.

This is an issue important to me. It makes sense that the wealthy want to keep their wealth, power, and privilege. But, if this is the cost we must pay for them to enjoy themselves we have to al lask ourselves if the "American Dream" is simply throwing a party on the back of a poor person.