Happy Labor Day! As we take this break from work to spend time with our family and friends, catch up on errands, or just relax, we should also take a moment to reflect on what this day is for.
This holiday originated from a march that consisted of thousands of workers in New York in September 1882. These workers took unpaid time to march in the streets of New York City. They were organizing a way to improve the conditions of the industrial labor—to improve health and safety conditions, reduce working hours, and receive fair pay for a day’s work. Back then, working 12-hour days, seven days a week in loud, dirty, and dangerous conditions were common. Worker organizing and political action brought a set of standards for industrial work that reduced work hours, improved pay and working conditions, eliminating child labor, and transformed industrial work into the jobs that became the foundation for the emergence of the American middle class.
Today, a post-industrial economy presents a new set of challenges for working people. But while the particulars of schedules, working conditions, and skill demands may be different, the essential issue remains: Can we design a world of work in which working people have the chance to earn a decent living and live a decent life? Labor Day offers an opportunity to consider how we build a world of work that can again be the foundation of a stable, vibrant society with broad-based prosperity.
As the Rucker Roots family, we are committed to ensuring that our processes don’t just end at production and sales. We have a future workplace that we dream of; a future where more women join the workforce, a future where women are allowed to be themselves and a future where we have many more entrepreneurs. We are shaping the workplace culture of women by creating an environment where women on our team can thrive. We know that it takes time, and our role, however little it seems, will make a difference for our future generations. How are you shaping the culture of those around you?