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Thursday, March 17, 2005 |
LaborTalk (March 16, 2005)
Major Organizing Issues: Overwork,
Stress and Less Time for the Family
By Harry Kelber
It's been a long time since organized labor has paid much attention to the plight of union and non-union workers on and off the job. Millions of men and women, many with young children, are working long, stressful hours and come home too exhausted to have a decent family life.
You may remember that when automation and new technological miracles were introduced in the 1960s, we were promised an easier work life. There was some talk of a standard seven-hour workday or even six. But the fact is that men and women are working longer and harder than ever, with increased stress to meet the employer's production requirements.
American workers put in 1,792 hours on average in 2003--three full-time weeks more than British workers and nine times more than French and German workers, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
We boast that American workers are the best in the world, so why do we work so much longer and with fewer benefits than European workers? Isn't it disgraceful that about half the nation's work force does not have even one day of paid sick leave?
We're in the 21st century, but we're going back to the 1900s, when workers labored sixty hours a week and more, including weekends. And we¹re not doing much about it. Surely, if we¹re talking about labor¹s vision of the future, we ought to come up with some answers to improve the quality of life for a worker and his family.
The truth of the matter is that many unions have allowed employers to establish 10- and 12-hour workdays, including mandatory weekend overtime. While this has meant a fatter pay envelope, it has left workers stressed out and unable to meet their family obligations.
U.S. Census data point to increased stress on women workers. The average middle-class married woman works 500 hours, or 12.5 weeks, more than she did in 1979. The stress is intensified when there are small children at home.
If the AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions hope to re-establish their relevance to workers, they'll have to produce answers that have appeal. Is a six-hour workday, 30-hour week utopian? Then how about a 7-hour day, 35-hour week, with limits on weekend work? More paid sick leave and vacations? If not these proposals, what else? Can we continue to ignore the problem?
A new grass roots coalition, "Take Back Your Time," is seeking legislation in 21 states to give workers paid sick leave or paid family leave to take care of infants or sick family members.
In Washington State, committees of the Senate and House approved a bill calling for five weeks¹ paid family leave for workers, which would be financed by having workers pay a tax of two cents per hour worked, about $40 a year.
"These are issues that cross party lines," says John de Graaf, national coordinator of Take Back Your Time. "This is completely about family values. People need time to have strong marriages, strong families and strong communities. When people don't have enough time, families break down."
A substantial number of Democrats are expected to introduce a bill in Congress later this month that would guarantee workers seven paid days off each year for when they or their children are ill. This bill should also appeal to conservative groups that emphasize the importance of family values.
If unions intend to make major strides in organizing, proposals to give workers more free time for themselves and their families can help their campaigns.
Our weekly "LaborTalk" and "The World of Labor" columns, as well as our pamphlets and other educational materials, can be viewed at our Web site: www.laboreducator.org My e-mail address is: hkelber@</FONT>igc.org
9:30:27 AM
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