Unions Ensure Human Dignity
It is time we recognize the dignity of all work, that a minimum wage, must be a living wage ($20-40/hr, depending on location). As the author of Beaten Down, Worked Up shared, "all labor that helps humanity has dignity and that every worker, no matter how low paid or humble, deserves respect."
I've worked many manual labor jobs. Painting, landscaping, caddying, road construction, catering, bouncing, bar-tending, waiting tables. I like hard work. I'm like the Cat in the Hat, anywhere, anytime, any chance to serve. But it's hard, and takes a toll.
I fell off scaffolding as a painter, and when I got poison sumac from head to toe, I was in bed for a week and received no worker's comp.
I had more than my share of acne, because I was covered in fry grease at McDonald's.
I listened to truckloads of racist, sexist, egotistical bullshit and got stiffed by cheapskates as a caddy.
As a road construction worker (Teamster Local 1001 Steel and Concrete), I woke to my hands swollen shut from the previous day on the jackhammer. I had to run my hands under hot water before I could move my fingers.
As a construction worker, I've been cheated out of wages, pulled out countless splinters, swung hammers down on my fingers, stepped on nails, and come dangerously close to severing limbs on a table saw.
As a waiter, I'd have nightmares about screwing up orders, which I did a lot.
As a caterer, I'd work 13-hour shifts, endure verbal abuse from clients and sexual harassment from management.
As a bouncer, I had to break up fights among trained killers, often times outnumbered, and between men much larger than me.
As a bartender, I had to get drunk every night, give my friends free drinks, get treated like a celebrity and have sex with patrons. OK, that job was awesome.
As an American, born on Labor Day in 1976, I am horrified by how we treat workers. It is fundamentally un-American. All work is sacred and has dignity. We need secure jobs, a living wage, and healthcare that isn't dependent on where we work. We need unions.
From the NYT book review on "Beaten Down, Worked Up": "Teachers protesting in red states have won improbable victories, while tech workers have gained major concessions from their companies. Labor unions are more popular today than in any year of Obama’s presidency." The rise of populist leaders is in large part due to how badly we've treated workers. If we want leaders who do more than incite resentment and anger, we have to treat workers with respect and dignity.
If you feel the same, I encourage you to support unions. I ask that you thank the people who serve you and work in your home, that you demand the right to organize at work, demand that your contractors and suppliers make a living wage, and vote for people who fight for the rights and dignity of the working class.
About the Author
Brandon Peele (he/him) is a Midwesterner, best-selling author, international speaker and serial impact entrepreneur.
He creates a flourishing future for the United States of America, by activating purposeful organizations and cultures of trust, innovation and collaboration.
Over the last two decades, he has written / co-written 4 books on purpose activation. He has driven growth for several Fortune 500 and start-ups companies, and has guided thousands of people on their journey to discover and live their higher purpose.
He works with moms, dads, veterans, clergy, students and retirees, as well as world-class athletes, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders from organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Stanford University, The United States Marine Corps, Google, The Smithsonian Institutes and Apple.