Labor Day

Labor Day is one of those wonderful holidays where you (probably) don't have to go to work, but there are no ceremonial obligations, either. No giant turkey to cook, no gifts to be bought, no parades to go watch. You can bum around your house like a slob in pajamas all day, and it's O.K. But Labor Day does exist for a reason, and we have a few books here that can help readers reflect on why so many people get the first Monday of September off.

Strikemakers and Strikebreakers, by Sidney Lewis, gives a condensed history of the American labor movement, from Molly Maguires in the post-Civil War coal mines to Ronald Reagan's intervention in the air traffic controller's strike in 1981 (how ironic the Washington, D.C airport got named after him).

A Country That Works: getting America back on track, is by Andy Stern, the president of the Service Employees International Union. Stern discusses the new reality of the American labor market in a time of outsourcing, globalization and budget retailers. He offers his ideas about how to preserve the standard of living for America's workers.

Hey, Waitress: the USA from the other side of the tray, by Alison Owings, describes some of the realities of waitressing: low pay, long hours, few benefits and rude customers. Personally, I think everyone should be forced to wait tables at some point in their life, so that they behave better in restaurants.

Nickel and Dimed: on (not) getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich and The Working Poor: invisible in America, by David K. Shipler both focus on the millions of Americans who are just making it. These are the people who are working multiple jobs, living from paycheck to paycheck, uninsured and only one illness away from financial disaster. They clean our buildings, pick our crops, mow our lawns and cook our burgers. If you are fortunate enough to have a job where this Monday is a holiday for you, then you should read about your neighbors who will be working this Labor Day (and Thanksgiving, and New Year's and July 4th).