Monday Stuff

Here is a clip reminding us of the importance of today's holiday, as well as the labor movement overall (more here , here, here, here, and a true relic is here...and as noted here, the beat goes on, you might say)…



...and this local news report from Portland tells us about workers going on strike against the Fred Meyer food stores, owned by Kroger (and you can put me down as a “No” on the Kroger/Albertson’s merger, partly for the reasons noted here...more here and here)...



...and this video last year from Ana Kasparian of TYT tells us that a Kroger employee in Tennessee died from extreme heat while working in the salvage department of the grocery store, leading into more information on workers dying or getting sick form the heat across the country, particularly in Texas (big surprise, I know...I haven't been able to track down an update to anything posted here, but if I come across something, I'll update this post)...



...and speaking of unsafe working conditions, I think we should be mindful of this story of a Boar's Head plant in Virginia, particularly the following (which led to a listeria outbreak that has thus far killed 9 people and sickened 57 across 18 states)...

Insects and mold were identified at the Virginia Boar’s Head plant linked to the recall, according to USDA documents.

Reports from the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service show 84 “noncompliances” from January 2022 to August 2024, 69 of them since August 2023. They describe insects, alive and dead, in several areas of the Jarratt, Virginia, plant, at various times and mold seen on doors, near a hand-washing sink and on a ceiling at different points. One report from February 2024 described “blood in puddles on the floor” and a “rancid smell in the cooler.”

(And by the way, as you read the CNN story, please keep in mind that our Philistines in robes on the High Court of Hangin' Judge JR just issued this ruling making it harder for government regulatory agencies to do their jobs, including the USDA – decision was handed down from 6 wingnut justices confirmed under Republican presidents and Senates - more here).

...and speaking of heat, this tells us about road workers dealing excessive temperatures (not just from the weather, but steaming asphalt also) in Kent County, Michigan...



...and o-ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin’ down the street...but first it looks like they’ll have to retrieve an employee in Tempe, AZ who died on the job and wasn’t noticed for four days, as this news story tells us (and no, I’m not making light of this tragedy)...



...and this story tells us about 4500 hotel workers in the Boston area preparing to strike; I would say that doing this on Labor Day weekend is a particularly gutsy call, not just because of the holiday but also given that college students are coming to town for the fall semester (a related item is here)...



...and Robert Reich tells us about 5 ways to strengthen labor and the middle class of this country...video is 11 years old, but it still has some good points about leveling the playing field, you might say, for workers...and I’m pretty sure the minimum wage adjusted for productivity and inflation is around $15 an hour now...good idea about increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit also (and let's not forget this, by the way)...



Update: Well said.

...and this line stood out for yours truly from this link...

“When adjusted for inflation, the 2024 federal minimum wage in the United States is over 40 percent lower than the minimum wage in 1970.”

...Ugh...and here is a tune for the holiday.