How did you get a weekend or 8 hour days?

[upaloopa]

Strikes!

[porphyrian]

1. That's right! And minimum wage, safe working conditions, etc. n/t

[RKP5637]

3. I bet if questioned across the US many people would have no idea. n/t

[porphyrian]

12. Don't blame people in "right to work" states, like Florida...

I lived in Florida most of my life, where "right to work" laws basically make unions so ineffective there's no reason to try. There, we were fed a steady diet of bullshit about how all unions are corrupt mobs that take your whole paycheck in dues. We were trained to accept that we weren't working hard enough for our substandard wages and ever-diminishing benefits, if we had any at all. Then, I heard about Zinn. Many haven't down there, though, and they're scared they'll lose the shitty jobs they have. So, don't attack them, educate them.

[RKP5637]

17. All excellent points!!! n/t

[Brickbat]

2. Strikes that were, at the time, illegal.

[RKP5637]

7. Yep, before it was vogue that protests be illegal or gets you labeled as a

potential terrorist. ... or person of interest. ... or your home raided. ... because you don't agree with TBTB, and don't fall in line like a lambee.

[Brickbat]

20. You're kidding, right?

[RKP5637]

22. OK, I'll try this again, I just posted to myself in error. This is what I was trying to post ...

Not entirely, I'm thinking of OWS, for example. ... not the long camp-out stuff, but when they were marching.

I'm also thinking of this ... The below is what really bothers me, it seems an ongoing erosion of rights?

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/leading-edge-legal-advice-everyday-matters/2012/aug/1/i-object-i-disagree-can-i-now-say-so-publicly/

[Brickbat]

23. I was saying "you're kidding" because the reaction illegal strikers got back in the day consisted of

beatings, kidnappings, murder, kangaroo courts and terrorizing and killing family members, including children.

[RKP5637]

25. Oops, my misunderstanding. I actually recall some of those strikes, I was just a little kid

at the time watching on TV. Also probably at the movies too when they used to do the neat newsreels before the movie.

I also watched some of the documentaries this past year about some of the struggles, the documentaries were extremely well done. The people sacrificed so much to promote worker rights. My dad was a strong democratic politician back then and a staunch supporter of workers' rights. He was an FDR guy.

[backscatter712]

32. YEP!

Back in the day, if you were going on strike, you were not just not working, you were out in the streets, possibly armed with a lead pipe, to keep the Pinkertons from escorting the scabs in, because the moment you went on strike, you were fired and replaced. Or you were doing a sit-in strike like the auto workers in Flint, who at one point were damned close to facing down National Guard troops who would have stormed the factories with machine guns and artillery to break the strike. Some of them had joined a committee dedicated to standing TO THE DEATH against the police, Pinkertons and National Guard.

When you went on strike, things got not just ugly, but REALLY UGLY.

[HiPointDem]

40. +1. and rather dangerous.

Strikers battle police with clubs and pipes during the 1934 Minneapolis General Drivers and Helpers Union strike.

Photo courtesy National Archives and Records Administration

[MineralMan]

4. I don't get a weekend, and my days are usually about 12 hours.

I work for myself. There's no union for me. I've been doing it since 1974. My clients are in four time zones, and they call when it suits them, not me. They email when it suits them, not me, an they expect me to be there to pick up the phone or answer their email.

I haven't had a vacation in many years, nor do I expect one. Before I started getting Medicare at age 65, I paid for my own health insurance. When I hit 65, I was paying over $800 per month. That's being self-employed. It's not for kids, that's for sure.

[upaloopa]

8. Why don't you get a job?

[MineralMan]

16. I had one of those. Actually a few of them.

But, it didn't suit me very well. I like doing a wider variety of things. When I had a software company, I was the only person there. I was the programmer, the documentation person, the printer of manuals, the packager and shipper, the customer support person, and the janitor. It was very interesting and enjoyable. I also spent about 16 years writing for magazines, ranging from Seventeen to PC World. I designed woodworking projects for Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, and Family Handyman and got to design them, build them, photograph them, and tell people how to duplicate them. I got interested in rocks and minerals, so I started a business selling mineral specimens to collectors. I had one of the first three websites that did that. After about six years, I folded the business, sold all my specimens to another dealer, and moved on. I had to learn mineralogy at the Master's Degree level to do that properly. It was a blast. But, it wore thin after a while, and we had moved, so it was time to do something else.

I'm not happy working at a job where I do basically the same thing every day. These days, I'm writing all of the content for small business websites. That means I get to write one week about plastic surgery, and the next about executive recruiting. It's challenging, and I get to learn new stuff. It suits me, and I make enough money to keep my head above water. My wife's a writer, too, and has been writing for major publications like Barrons for many years. She's doing business blogs as a ghost writer a lot these days, writing about all kinds of things.

We have fun. We enjoy what we do. We will never get rich, and will keep working until we can't any more. We don't have any kids. We own a house. We have a good time. I don't know what else I'd do, frankly.

If I get bored, I do something new. I haven't found anything that interested me that I couldn't turn into a way to make money. I get bored easily, so I keep changing what I do. I haven't been bored since 1974.

I hope that answered your question. Other people have jobs. They're union members. I support unions. But there really isn't one for me.

[RKP5637]

26. Just FYI, I thought this was an excellent response! n/t

[Honeycombe8]

30. Wow. Hard work. You haven't had a vacation, but hopefully you took some days off each yr.nt

[HiPointDem]

41. you work for yourself. not sure why it's relevant.

[MineralMan]

48. The OP's post asked, "How did you..."

My post was illustrative of the fact that many people are self-employed and do not have access to union representation. Most self-employed people work long hours and don't take vacations. I used myself as an example.

Since self-employment is a popular alternative to regular employment, it's important to consider when discussion labor issues.

It's relevant because the OP's "you" is inclusive, not exclusive.

Thanks for your reply.

[Care Acutely]

5. I don't. I have 13 hour days.

but I most certainly support unions at least 90+% of the time when they strike.

[Earth_First]

6. I don't understand your anger tonight...

You are preaching to a very sympathetic choir here, so why the frustration?

[upaloopa]

11. Teacher haters get to me

[Earth_First]

13. I don't see any teacher haters here...

I have three teachers in my family, I understand it exactly.

[CreekDog]

43. there are some, perhaps even one in this thread

sorry to say.

[liberal N proud]

9. People forget that.

[orpupilofnature57]

10. People like this, thank you Wobblies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World

[boppers]

14. I work for my own boss.

I can take as much time as I want off, or work as much as I want. No overtime, because my boss is a dick.

[GEOpix]

15. People today do not know the extent of sacrifice

of the workers who not only struck, but gave their blood and lives for the cause of workers rights. The history of the struggle for workers rights in the US has been conveniently suppressed. If you are truly interested in understanding the true history of the fight for worker's rights, this site is a good starting point: http://www.ditext.com/taft/violence.html

[orpupilofnature57]

19. Thanks, and Welcome to DU

[RKP5637]

27. Thank you for posting this!!! n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

18. Unions: The Folks That Brought You The Weekend

http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/sticker-unions-folks-brought-you-weekend

[WooWooWoo]

24. not everyone gets weekends off

just ask anyone who works retail.

[RKP5637]

29. I often think about that. I recall years ago when supermarkets, for example, started staying open

past 5 or 6 PM, then to midnight. When I was a kid most stores were closed on Saturday and Sunday, and in our town Wednesday afternoons. Now the hours are incredible. Retail is a difficult job IMO.

[Care Acutely]

33. Or a nurse, respiratory therapist, anyone who works in a hospital,

Nursing home, etc.

[CreekDog]

44. though union jobs in these fields typically have premium pay for off shifts

it may not be a lot, but there is often a difference if you work day, shift or graveyard.

i had a union job during college (making $14/hour by the time I graduated). since i worked after my classes, usually swing shift filling in or coming in to help their backlog, I'd get about $1/hour more, also more on the weekend.

[graywarrior]

28. Thank Jane Addams, sociologist and social reformer

[dkf]

31. How many people do get 40 hour workweeks and weekends off?

Is that a majority of full time workers?

It certainly doesn't describe most people I know.

[xmas74]

34. I do now

but that's a recent thing. And weekends aren't 100% if we are too far behind on orders. The job before this varied every week on the number of hours and whether or not I had a weekend day off.

[dkf]

35. I honestly do not think I've ever worked only 40 hours a week.

Not unless I took vacation time.

My parents had jobs like this but lately not even my government employee friends have straight 40 hours and weekends off.

Responsible people step up and work the extra time if they need to. With more jobs needing decision making skills and less jobs on the manufacturing line, I think we have largely outgrown the idea we can contain all we need to do in the traditional work week.

[xmas74]

37. "Responsible people step up and work the extra time if they need to. "

That's not a dig, is it? Because I more than work whenever it's needed. Actually, I work two jobs-and one is in manufacturing. The manufacturing job pays more than any job I've ever had and business on their side is booming, so much so that they are still hiring. Lots of contracts, lots of interest in additional contracts, and lots of development. From what I see firsthand, manufacturing is slowly coming back but in specific areas.

(I work a second job because after losing a decent paying job a few years ago I had to take crappy jobs, which helped me get behind on bills. The second job is helping me pay off my bills quickly, so I can relax in a years' time.)

[dkf]

39. No I was referring to the idea of a salary type job vs hourly where the distinction is supposed to

be the responsibility of the position.

In order to qualify for a salary, the position needs to have certain characteristics.

http://www.flsa.com/coverage.html

[xmas74]

50. I have an hourly job

and there's no way I'd trade it. I've worked salary at other positions and felt ripped off in the end. My time is worth something to me and the amount of time I had to spend away from my child for no difference in pay was not worth it.

[Major Nikon]

38. Unless you are FLSA exempt, you should be getting paid overtime for more than 40 hours

[dkf]

42. Years ago they changed my title to turn me into an exempt worker.

At the time I was suspicious but believe me the duties have grown and grown.

[Major Nikon]

46. The job title is irrelevant per the FLSA

Only the duties you perform are what qualifies for the exemption. It is possible to contest your exemption through DOL. A few years ago the union where I work did this for a few employees, won, and threatened to challenge the status of all similar workers (the challenges have to be made on an individual basis). Management caved and moved them to non-exempt and even paid some back pay to the employees.

[CreekDog]

45. Oh please, the French and Germans run wonderful countries and work less than us

Please get over yourself. I'm sorry but you've said that you do accounting.

Surely you don't think that you're such an extraordinary accountant that you simply MUST "step up" and work more than 40 hours per week or else, well I don't know, perhaps the universe would collapse or something, maybe that would trigger it.

Seriously.

Work is one part of your life, I can understand working more if one needs to eat or not be homeless --or for their children/family...oh I get that.

But because your white collar job just requires one's miraculous talent? No.

Go home, use your free time to change the world for the better, help children, help the elderly, help end slavery abroad, help with the arts to enrich the lives of others, help end poverty for the sake of future generations, etc.

In other words, work for yourself for part of your life, and work for others in other parts of your life (and I don't mean your job is working for others --it's not, you're getting paid for that).

[dkf]

49. You must be thinking of someone else...

That's not what I do.

[malaise]

36. Simple - Union activism

Solidarity forever!

[deepika]

47. weekly

I am daliy weekly 6 dayes in working the office. and sunday i am free and enjoy with friendes............

[riverbendviewgal]

51. Union, Union, Union

who negotiated and sometimes went on strikes.

Unions made the middle class.

[Lint Head]

52. Unions. I am a member of Local 257.