A Labor Day Call for Action-- Guest Post By Jenny Marshall

Jenny Marshall and Randy Bryce

-by Jenny Marshall,
candidate for Congress (NC-05)

Labor Day: the one Monday of the year in which most American workers can count on a day off. On Labor Day, so many of us stay home from work only to find ourselves muddling through whatever at-home tasks we’ve been avoiding for a while. But Labor Day has its roots in something more powerful than that. The holiday was first created by machinist, union organizer, and secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York, Matthew Maguire, in 1882.

On that day, workers took to the streets to celebrate with their friends and families, prideful of their contribution to the American workforce. While celebrations still exist, most often at workplaces with unionized labor forces, many Americans are left feeling that they don’t have a reason to celebrate their place in the workforce anymore.

According to Pew Research Center, 15% of people in the workforce are dissatisfied with their jobs. What’s really telling is that the level of satisfaction that people have with their jobs is heavily dependent on the amount of money they make and what type of job they have. So, people who make more money and have jobs in management are generally happier with their jobs than folks who work in manual or physical labor and make less money. This is unsurprising as right-wing politicians and corporate elites continue to deplete protections that once helped workers to thrive.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Congresswoman for North Carolina’s 5th district and my opponent for Congress in 2018, is one of corporate America’s most promising allies in government. Time and time again, she has voted on policies to bolster the profits of elites while depleting rights and protections for working class people. As Co-Chair to the 2016 RNC Platforms Committee, Foxx advocated for union-busting, right-to-work laws.

As a member, and now the leader, of the Education and Workforce Committee, Virginia Foxx has repeatedly put profits over people. She voted against raising the minimum wage in 2007, but has voted to give herself a pay increase since then. She also voted no on the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007, which would have prevented employers from intimidating, harassing, or firing employees due to union membership. And just last year, she voted yes to the Workforce Flexibility Act of 2016, which would have allowed employers to give employees time off—notably, at the time of an employer’s choosing-- instead of overtime pay, rolling back regulations from the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that created the 40 hour work week in America.

Foxx has worked to stifle collective bargaining, prevent fair wages, and allow employers to tread on worker’s rights. Most recently, she approved of Donald Trump’s order to roll back Obama-era protections for women and minority workers. Well, I’ve had enough of Virginia Foxx’s attack on American workers, and I think we ought to do something about it. The first order of business is unseating Virginia Foxx and her GOP allies who work in lockstep to disadvantage American workers at every turn.

But to fix this problem, we must go further. We must increase wages, put a stop to union-busting legislation, and bring good-paying-jobs back to the United States. We must demand that workers be paid fair compensation, allowed time off, and given substantial family leave options. We must donate, volunteer, and rally for campaigns that support the People’s Platform and demand that our leaders in Congress, regardless of political affiliation, are held accountable for their actions. Only then can we bring back the pride once associated with being a part of the American workforce. Only then can we remember what Labor Day is really about-- celebrating the collaborative efforts of our community.

This Labor Day, let’s come together as workers and stand up for our rights and livelihoods. Now is the time to demand the end of corporate greed and to recognize the strength in our community. Together, we can take on corporate America. Will you join me?