LABOR DAY THOUGHTS!

  MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH., 2017
        LABOR DAY THOUGHTS!

    It's Labor Day 2017 and, like many of

you I've got the day off. Most of you

probably figure I've got every day off

since I'm "retired."

   But about the time they pulled the plug

on WYOU News I began volunteering

with Electric City TV. I've been doing a

weekly Public Affairs program with my

buddy Rusty Fender.

   We do the show every Monday. But,

this being Labor Day, we're playing some

"Best Of" programs this week so we wouldn't

have to "labor" on Labor Day!
     I once did a story on Channel 22

about people who worked on Labor Day. 

Most of them said they really didn't mind
working on the holiday. Of course most

of them got extra pay for doing so!
    Strange thing about that too.
    When our station was unionized we

got double time and a half for working

Labor Day (and several other holidays.)

After the union was "voted out" the holiday
pay went down to a time and a half rate.
    At that "rate" the union was certainly a

benefit!
    A lot of people who aren't working and

have the day off are probably attending La

Festa Italiana in Scranton.
    With all the music and food booths set up
around the Courthouse I wonder how many

will pay any attention to the status of John

Mitchell on the Adams Avenue side of the

building?
     Mitchell, who was know around the world

as a labor leader, became President of the United
Mine Workers of America. And though he

wasn't from Scranton he's buried there.
     His union led the struggle for the 5 day work
week and for a decent life for the men who built
our area by laboring underground in the coal
mines! We could have used this guy in the

News field too!
     Unions have come under a lot of fire over the
past few years.
    There's no question they improved the lives of
many working men and women over the years.
     But Labor Day isn't a time to salute unions.
     It's a time to remember the people who
labor every day to support themselves and their
families, our country and our communities!
     Give them an extra pat on the back! Especially
if they're working on Labor Day!
      Hope you enjoy your extra day off and that
all your NEWS is good!