Is Labour Day Sacred?

 

O God, creator of the world,

of sun and moon and stars,
you chose to fashion us as your own, your handiwork of love.
Indeed, we are your hands’ own work, and yet into our hands
you give the care of every living thing.
In more ways than we can count, our work builds up—
or tears apart—what came as gift from you.
Keep us faithful in preserving all you’ve given,
lest we harm the smallest part of all you’ve made.
Give us good and honest work to do and rest at each day’s end.
Let a just and fair day’s wage be paid for a good day’s work well done.
Give us work that nurtures and sustains the ones who serve and those they serve. Let those who labor work in peace, in freedom, without fear.
Give those in need a job to do, and to the tired, well-earned rest.
Let all our toil and labor, Lord, give glory to your name. Amen.

from Good Morning Good God by Fr. Austin Fleming (The Word Among Us Press, 2016)

Those who steal must give up stealing; rather, let them labor, doing good work with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy

Ephesians 4:28 NRSVue 

Over the past few weeks workers from the Metro grocery stores in the Greater Toronto Area have been on strike. They contended that their wages were so low that they couldn't afford to buy groceries from the stores in which they work. In the GTA housing is also extremely expensive and we know that runaway inflation has hit low-wage workers particularly hard.  Meanwhile, the Metro chain has made record profits and paid hefty bonuses to its executives. Some workers have asked that the pandemic "hero pay" — an extra $2 an hour — be reinstated. The union for the Metro workers, Unifor, worked out a new agreement, which was accepted by members, but it was a long slog.

 On this Labour Day Holiday -- with a "u" -- in Canada we need to remember that acknowledging the importance of reasonable pay for honest work should be a right, not a privilege. Ironically, we are struggling with a worker shortage in many sectors in this country, including the hospitality industry and the trades which build houses. Yet there is a reluctance to provide adequate compensation and too often when workers attempt to organize their efforts are crushed -- think Amazon and Starbucks. 

The apostle Paul encouraged honest work rather than theft. As a rabbi he also had a trade as a tentmaker, so he understood the meaning of authentic labour. The irony is that we are often lulled into accepting that the wealth of a few has been earned rather than pilfered from those they employ and we even extol their craftiness. Why are billionaires so admired and given free rein to act with impunity and self-indulgence? 

I must confess the irony that efforts to organize a Unifor chapter for United Church clergy called Unifaith have sputtered over the years and I chose not to participate. I chatted on a number of occasions with colleagues about this and a long-time friend was a key figure in the organization. I still wonder about my decision, but the ship has sailed.

Is Labour Day sacred? Maybe that's going too far, but it should be more than just another holiday, a day to pause and give thanks for the value of meaningful work. 

Today we can be mindful of all those who are "nickel and dimed" by the rising cost of living, those who are fretting about the costs of sending kids back to school, and those who are working long hours with little recognition or compensation. They are heroes in their own way.

                                                       1913 illustration from The Masses magazine