Labour Day thoughts

So yesterday was Labour Day. Labour Day celebrates the work done by unions, to secure safe and consistent employment for its members.

Did you march in a Labour Day parade yesterday? If so, did you then go to a convenience store to shop for a few things, or a fast-food place? Maybe you did, because in my area, the Metro grocery store was closed for Labour Day. Maybe you went home and watched the news on TV, to find out how the weather was going to be for your kids to go back to school.

I think that to be in a union, actively supporting it, and marching in a Labour Day parade, and then to go home and consume products and services that are not created by union-organized labour, is hypocritical.

People who work in fast-food joints and convenience stores are often not in unions. So don't give their bosses a reason to be open on Labour Day! If nobody buys anything on a stat holiday, the stores will eventually no longer open those days.

Television programs and commercials don't just happen magically. There may no longer be people physically pressing "play" on tapes, but there are certainly people at work on Labour Day making sure the computers play the right commercials at the right time. People who work in the TV industry are likely unionized, but scheduling unionized workers to work on Labour Day is kind of beside the point of having a Labour Day, is it not? Don't give the media a reason to broadcast anything on Labour Day. Let them have a test pattern up all day, it will give everyone a reason to think about why we celebrate Labour Day, and everyone can enjoy the day off at home with their families and friends.

And while we're at it, doesn't your ISP have people who make sure your internet is always up and running? Stay off the internet as well on stat holidays, give everyone a reason to have a holiday just like you.