Labor This! – Opinions From E. Curtis Johnson

The advertisement said, “Sick leave, child labor laws, weekends and safer working conditions: Unions built that. Happy Labor Day from the folks who brought you the weekend and so much more.” Close quote. It’s a half-truth to say that unions brought us the whole weekend. Saturday? Yes. However, the Judeo-Christian God brought us the 7th day off.

Unions have clearly been a positive force in better working conditions in America. However, labor is only one factor in entrepreneurship. If someone with capital didn’t take a risk, most jobs would still be farm labor positions. My biggest complaint with labor is that it often wants an equal share of the reward while taking none of the risk.

I’m E. Curtis Johnson. I’ve been management scum almost all of my adult life. Most people who’ve worked for me thought I was a good boss. I hope labor enjoys having Labor Day off and it’s no big deal that Labor Unions sometimes take more credit than they deserve. Just remember, most jobs are built by – management.