APFwebs

Labor Day 2023

The calendar’s like work. Every orbital period on the first day of the week, by ISO 8601, in the Gregorian ninth month…

Labor Day’s the first Monday in September. The weekend before’s “Labor Day Weekend.”

Santa Fe’s Fiesta used to be the first weekend in September, regardless of Labor Day. Zozobra burns on Friday, the first day of Fiesta. To fit, the latest date for that would have been September 1. Fiesta was moved to Labor Day Weekend. Zozobra could burn as early as August 29.

The “temporary city” of Black Rock City, Nevada, was easy from the start. The Burning Man (Zozobra’s behemoth cousin) burns on Labor Day Weekend. Unless it rains. So there’s the calendar. Head ’em Up! Move ’em Out!

The mythical Ivy League marks Memorial Day to change from spring clothes to chambray shirts, khakis, and loafers. Labor Day marks the change back. Meteorological (or societal) summer and fall.

In 1894, Labor Day became an official federal holiday. (In other countries it’s spelled “Labour Day.”) Labor Day is “a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” [US DOL archive]

Since 1913, the US has had a Department of Labor.

NM had one, too. Now it’s the Department of Workforce Solutions. Bureaucracy likes to change names to protect the guilty. “Workforce Solutions” has better curb appeal. But the name hasn’t changed to “Workforce Solutions Day.” What’s in a name?

2023 has been a year of strikes. UPS, California Hotel workers, Writers and Actors, and Auto Workers have had their press time. I looked up “Workers of the world, unite!” But that’s not it. We’re all doing what we can…

Labor’s not cheap. Block the US borders, keep out them danged furriners. Yep, keep out the cheap Labor while you’re at it. No green cards. Make our green chilé harder to get. Oh no!

Americans want decent wages, working conditions, and all the other things that go with fair employment. Expensive. Who pays? Guess. Starts with a W.

“Hiring”? Don’t ask. No job? No need. More pay? Unemployment.

Labor Day? Git-r-done!