By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Lookout readers:
The history of the Labor Day holiday dates to 1882, although the day was not designated as a national holiday until 1894.
The first petitions for a holiday to honor workers came as labor unions grew during the U.S. industrial age and America’s Gilded Age, which was marked by rapid economic growth, proliferation of business tycoons and vast social inequality.
Sounds a little bit like the current era, except perhaps there’s less economic growth in most sectors.
For our abbreviated Labor Day edition, we share a story about the recent growth of labor unions and a commentary about why unions are still necessary: the practice of employers treating workers as disposable.
THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY
Members of Virginia Professional Firefighters association hold signs during their biannual convention in May to protest Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s veto of collective bargaining legislation. New research found a significant spike in labor union membership, but growth is highly dependent upon state politics. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
by Kevin Hardy, Stateline
Labor union membership continues to climb in the United States, though the increase remains sharply divided by the politics of individual states. Last year, the nation added more than 411,000 union members — the largest annual growth since 2008.
NEWS AND NOTES
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow Postal Service vote-by-mail rule| Jacob Fischler, States Newsroom
COMMENTARY
A labor economist writes that nearly 57 million U.S. workers are treated as “disposable” or “marginal,” including those who work via staffing firms. (Photo: Getty Images)
by Paul Osterman
Employers treat more than 1 in 3 U.S. workers as “disposable,” ” meaning people who work at an employer’s site, but their employer makes no commitment to them regarding career prospects or job security, according to recent research.
ICYMI
Defense contractor to lay off 127 workers in Hardeman County | Cassandra Stephenson
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