Labor Day 2009

Labor day has a special meaning for me, as a union insulator I would always reflect back on the workers before my time. Thinking about the conditions they worked in, the money they made, and the hard times they endured. The unions did a lot of good for the working man, they got people a fair wage for their labor, and a lot more positive things, but like anything involving the all mighty dollar corruption followed.

Now Labor day is just another day for me, since I don't work anymore I don't have to miss another day of work without pay. The contractors I worked for had the option of giving everyone the day off, (without pay) or they could work us but they had to pay us triple time, so needless to say I didn't work any labor day during my career as an asbestos worker.

I am happy to say some people do work on labor day. Like the guy working for the shop where our rig is getting the new roof, he took off Friday to attend a car show, and since he missed Friday he was making it up today. We were told that he would be working on our rig today since nobody worked on it Friday.

I am not happy at all with the progress on the new roof. Monday when we took it in we were told they would need to start on it then, and they would try to have it completed by Friday. We hurried to gather a few things that we would need for a stay in a motel and then we left it with them.

Wednesday we went to check on it, and to pick up a few more things and they were just starting to tear the old roof off. I hoped it was because they were waiting to make sure all the parts were there before they started, so my expectations of getting it back on Friday was diminishing.

Friday after they called and told us it wouldn't be ready until next week we went to the shop and found everything wet because they had pulled it outside to move a boat and a rain storm hit as they were moving the boat. They had all the rubber off and part of the wood where they had replaced it in TX. Todd (the owner) and Greg (the guy we have been dealing with) assured us the water would be cleaned up, and the bedding would be taken to the dry-cleaners.

Today we went back to the shop and nobody was working on the rig. The one guy was there working on a boat, and he might have worked on the rig after we left, I won't know until I go over there tomorrow. I don't want to rush them and cause them to hurry and do a bad job, but I do want them to work on it so it will get finished at some point.

So on this labor day I again think back at the workers of yesterday, and the workers of today. Today it is hard to find anyone that wants to exchange a days work for a days pay. Everyone wants things handed to them on a silver platter. The workers of the past had to work hard to support their families, and they often worked for a lot less money because the needed the job.

There are still some that work, and do a good job for their pay, but those people are fast becoming an endangered species......

This is a picture I took today showing the progress on the roof. They have had the rig since about 10AM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, And half a day today, (Monday)
Please consider this is LABOR DAY WEEKEND.