Labor Day, 2016

It’s Labor Day and, once again, I’m quasi-taking a day off from my blogging labors.

But I’ve written at some length about Labor Day, and what it means to me, in the past, and here’s a link to one of my favorites: Once Again, I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night.

Were it not for my brother-the-union guy, who runs the Greater Boston Labor Council (GBLC), I probably wouldn’t think that much about Labor Day one way of the other, other than for the fact that it signals the end of summer. But because of Rick, I do think of Labor Day differently. Here’s a bit of a hat’s off I wrote for him on Labor Day in 2014.

Anyway, last year on Labor Day, I did not see Joe Hill. But I did see POTUS.

With my niece Caroline (Rick’s daughter), I got a coveted seat to the annual GBLC breakfast, one of the biggest celebrations in the country, at which President Obama spoke. As did Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and Boston’s Mayor, Mahty Walsh.

It’s not every day you hear POTUS give a shout out to your kid brother, but last year, on Labor Day, I got to hear Barack Obama say “Let’s give it up for Rich Rogers.” And we all did.

That’s POTUS at the podium in this terrible picture I took. That’s Rich (Rick or Stick to the family, but Rich to the union world), second over from the woman in the green dress. (Massachusetts AG Maura Healy.) Next to Rich is Mayor Walsh. If you get to the woman in the print dress (who I think is Darlene Lombos of Community Labor United), you’ve gone too far.

Here’s an equally dreadful shot, this one of POTUS walking the line to shake hands. He’s about to get to my brother.

You may notice that, with the exception of Mayor Walsh, the men all have their ties off. Walsh went to the airport to greet POTUS, and texted back to the breakfast that POTUS was coming casual. Off came the ties.

I’ve included this picture because it’s got Elizabeth Warren in it, and Senator Warren is who will be keynoting Rick’s breakfast this year. I’ll be in the crowd, this year with my sister Trish, as my niece is now off to college.

Can’t wait to hear Senator Warren. Bet I can guess what she’ll be talking about...

Meanwhile, Happy Labor Day to blue, white, pink, and no-collar workers everywhere, especially those who are members of unions. You remember unions, don’t you? The folks who gave us the weekend, the paid vacation, child labor laws, anti-sweatshop laws, sick leave, the eight hour day, and a lot of other pretty good things we take for granted. This day’s for you!