As more and more Americans work the "gig economy", the entire premise of celebrating the dignity of work on the first Monday of September becomes more and more problematic. From driving for Uber to taking short term contracts with few or no benefits to two tier labor contracts in the auto industry which pay new workers at a lower rate, the average worker is being screwed over by our corporate overlords.
For many workers who came of age in the immediate aftermath of WW2, there were plenty of jobs available and companies competed for workers, offering higher wages, generous pensions and health insurance. The labor movement was respected by most people and the future looked bright. A high school education was a ticket to lifelong employment.
Fast forward to the 1980s and the entire dream began to unravel with Reagan and the destruction of the air traffic controllers union. This was followed by the outsourcing of many good paying jobs to third world countries. The elites promised to retrain workers for the jobs of the 21st century, but it turns out a small minority of college educated people took the many fewer jobs available, leaving mostly low paying service industry jobs for those with high school education.
Here we are, celebrating another Labor Day as most of the country falls further and further behind. That's where the seductive vision of tRumpist populism comes into play. Joe Manchin and other conservative Democrats who seek to derail programs helping most Americans looking for a better life are playing into the hands of those who either by design or serendipity are involved in the creation of a permanent underclass who will vote against their economic interests in favor of an ideological nihilism. We can do better.
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