I'm thinking of the people who died so I could have weekends off.

[alarimer]

The Ludlow Massacre, Haymarket, Homestead Steel, and on far too many other occasions, saw the deaths of striking workers. Workers who were trying to make conditions better for themselves. They may have lost those battles, but they won the war.
Today, we have (generally) a 40-hour workweek, benefits such as health insurance and retirement, and paid vacations. Even though we are in the process of going backwards, I think it is still important to recognize that sacrifices were made (including many, many deaths) in order for us to have those things we now take for granted.

I am also very aware that many people do not have those things, not just in the US, but around the world. Migrant farm workers, Walmart and fast food employees, and unpaid interns to name but a few.

The President said some good things in his statement today about organized labor, but he failed to mention the word "Union". It's almost as if it's a dirty word to many people these days. Mention the word union and usually you get some variation on "We don't need unions anymore" or "they're all a bunch of thugs." When I hear those things, I try to remember that people have been brainwashed by the corporate media to believe those things and that both parties are wholly captured by Wall Street, whose bottom line often depends on exploiting workers.