Category: Labor

Looking For A Career Change?

In these unsettling days of employment flux many are looking for ways to make more money….I mean AI is taking jobs right and left…..college degrees are worthless and there has got to be a better way to earn a good living.

Well Bubba there is……the uber rich are concerned with their safety….the society seems to be getting more hostile to the Robber Barons with each passing week….

America’s richest are jittery, and a growing group of “meat shields” is cashing in. That’s the term one bodyguard-in-training uses in Grayson Schaffer’s deep dive into the industry for GQ. For the record, bodyguards use the term “protector,” though the leader of a team is usually the BG, or bodyguard. Whatever the term, more aspirants are flocking to executive-protection courses like the one run by Elijah Shaw, a former protector for 50 Cent and Usher who now trains others to keep billionaires, tech titans, celebrities, and politicians safe. Schaffer drops into Shaw’s weeklong Las Vegas class, where students practice pulling “principals” off the X, or point of attack, and learn that the job is more about advance work than gunplay.

The story zooms out to explain why business is booming: high-profile killings and attacks on CEOs, governors, figures such as Charlie Kirk, and even the president—all part of rising political violence as tracked by Princeton’s Bridging Divides Initiative. This trend of “stochastic terrorism” has corporate security budgets swelling. Shaw and his peers say the real work happens long before an attack, in mapping exits, anticipating threats, and swallowing ego. Trainees are reminded—repeatedly—that running away with the client beats winning a fight. The job, as one trainee puts it, is being a literal human buffer—an “oversized butler” with a plan.

Read the full story.

There you have it….you too can become a ‘meat shield” for the ultra wealthy….stand between them and a society that is slowly letting the hatred boil to a roar.

It is coming.  Do you want to stand between a fucker that cares little for your safety as long as he can make it to the bank on time.

I am too old but if I were not then they could kiss my ass….my advice learn to defend yourself you pampered twats

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Preparedness And The Working Class

We know how bad the working class is taking it from the policies of Donny and his Band of Lunatics….but what can be done?

This is an opinion written by Eugene V. Debs in 1916….it could well have been written yesterday….

‘Preparedness and the Working Class’ by Eugene V. Debs from The National Ripsaw. Vol. 13 No. 3. May, 1916.

Just to let you know this fight we are having today is NOTHING new.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

May Day 2026

Happy May Day!

Today is the first of May and the International Day of the Worker….how many know the history behind May Day?

You know me any chance to drop some history and I am there…..

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a holiday celebrating workers and the history of labor organizing. Every year on May 1st, working people around the world join together for a day of remembrance and demonstrations. The holiday is a significant display of international solidarity and worker power. In Los Angeles, May Day unites the labor movement with advocates for immigrant rights and other community organizations.

The origins of May Day can be traced back to international labor organizing in the late 19th century. The holiday originated from a movement demanding improved working conditions and greater recognition for workers’ contributions. In 1884, a national federation of unions announced a campaign to establish an eight-hour workday by May 1, 1886. Workers in cities across North America went on strike leading up to that date in one of the era’s largest and most tumultuous periods of worker unrest.

In May 1886, police in Chicago shot striking workers, prompting activists to organize a protest in the city’s Haymarket Square. When a bomb exploded at that protest, killing one police officer and wounding others, police opened fire into the crowd, resulting in the deaths and injuries of both police and protesters. Eight protesters were arrested for inciting violence. The ensuing trial was considered by many to be unfair and resulted in the execution of seven of the eight men (1). This series of events would come to be known as the “Haymarket Incident” or “Haymarket Affair.” The image below is a newspaper clipping reporting on the executions from the Watertown Republican, November 16, 1887. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress’ “Chronicling America” digital project (2).

In the years following 1886, international labor groups and socialist advocates endorsed the commemoration of May 1 as International Workers’ Day or May Day. In some places around the world the “Chicago Martyrs” are still memorialized in May Day activities. But in the U.S., May Day celebrations became less common during the height of the Cold War.

What is May Day?

May Day should always be about the worker and their place in society.

Do not let some pseudo-intellectual tell you any different.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Labor Day 2025

I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day.

The day set aside for Americans to remember and celebrate labor (but unfortunately it is more about a long weekend for partying and such and less about the plight of the American worker)

As a past labor organizer for the IWW I am always looking at the history of Americans standing up and demanding more recognition of the worker and the services they provide for the society.

I also enjoy my history and the history of labor in our early days is significant and should be remembered….too many for forgotten the struggles of the past to win rights for workers….

This is a re-post of a writing from IST in 2009 about those early days….

Labor Movement–The Early Years

It is good for us to remember the early days and maybe that will help us work on a better future for American labor.

This is a letter written in 1899…..and it makes good points about the day and what it means….

https://wordpress.com/reader/feeds/134452904/posts/5786641240

Now if you are one that takes Labor issues to heart there is protest today all over the country and if you feel like it join in…..there is one near you….

Unions and progressive organizations are planning nearly 1,000 “Workers Over Billionaires” demonstrations across the United States this Labor Day to protest President Donald Trump’s assault on workers’ rights.

The day of national action has been organized by the May Day Strong coalition, which includes labor organizations like the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, and National Union of Healthcare Workers, as well as advocacy groups like Americans for Tax Fairness, Indivisible, Our Revolution, and Public Citizen.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/workers-over-billionaires-protests

Help bring attention to the shoddy treatment of Labor by the president and the soul-less SOBs, the corporations.

In closing a song by John Lennon….it is so true if you listen to the words….

This will be my only post for today for we down here are still in the remembrance of Katrina from 20 years ago.

If you are heading out for some good times with friends and family please be careful and plan ahead if you think that a ‘good time’ will be had….

Enjoy the day and as always…..Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

For The Return

This is a companion piece for my previous post….

We have been told what a wonderful world it will be as soon as Donny’s agenda and tariffs have done their thing…..

But is that true and how long must we wait?

President Donald Trump says his tariffs on imported goods are encouraging companies to invest in the U.S., claiming that will lead to “better-paying American jobs making beautiful American-made cars, appliances, and other goods.”

But critics say it could take years for American workers to develop the 21st-century manufacturing skills that overseas workers have already mastered.

“In the U.S. you could have a meeting of tooling engineers, and I’m not sure we could fill a room.” Apple CEO Tim Cook says. “In China, you could fill multiple football fields.”

In the meantime, critics warn, consumer products will continue to be manufactured overseas, and Trump’s tariffs will drive prices of those imports higher.

There’s a reason companies moved production offshore in the first place: It’s cheaper thanks to lower labor costs. As a result, American consumers have long benefited from lower prices.

George Carrillo, CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council, says garments and furniture made overseas are generally 20% to 50% cheaper than U.S.-made goods. But for some products, like consumer technology items, the differential is even bigger.

Apple, which makes 80% of its products in China, is a good example.

https://moneywise.com/news/economy/priced-out-trumps-plan-to-bring-manufacturing-back-to-the-us-could-cost-consumers-more-for-years-to-come

Just a little something to think about (if that is possible) when it comes to the promise of the return of American manufacturing.

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

When Will Manufacturing Return?

I have written a lot about the tariffs and what it will mean to us mere peasants…..but Donny has said that it will revive the US manufacturing sector….is that really the case?

If this promise is true….how will it revive that sector?

There are some doubting Thomas’…..

The Trump administration’s tariff scheme appears less and less likely to bring manufacturing jobs back to U.S. shores.

Businesses across the country are crunching the numbers and realizing that, despite Donald Trump’s insistence, they can’t balance out his tariff hikes across the supply chain.

“Some manufacturers who had plans to open factories in the country say the new duties are only adding to the significant obstacles they already faced,” Bloomberg reported Friday.

That’s because the supply chain to produce those goods in the United States simply isn’t there, requiring companies to import raw materials and factory equipment—which Trump’s tariffs have made unaffordable—from abroad.

And Trump’s unpredictable approach to announcing and enacting or even retracting his tariffs has added confusion and significant volatility to the market, making businesses less likely to invest in large, long-term projects such as factory development.

Nora Orozco, the owner of footwear company Evolutions Brands, wants to open a Texas factory that would create 200 jobs. But the nitty-gritty of Trump’s so-called “manufacturing renaissance” just doesn’t work, according to the small-business owner.

“I like the idea of onshoring, but this makes it impossible for us,” Orozco told Bloomberg.

Reinvigorating American manufacturing has been a tall order for both political parties since the country offshored and automated the bulk of those jobs decades ago. But 2022 did see a spike in job announcements for reshored manufacturing gigs, according to the Reshoring Initiative, a U.S. manufacturing advocacy nonprofit.

https://newrepublic.com/post/195070/donald-trump-tariffs-manufacturers-opening-factories

We are also told that it may be a long haul to return the manufacturing sector to its once proud glory.

If so then why do we have open manufacturing jobs?

President Trump has been upending the global economy in the name of bringing manufacturing back. President Joe Biden signed into law massive investments aimed at doing something similar. The American manufacturing sector is reviving after decades of decay.

But there’s something a bit weird undercutting this movement to reshore factory jobs: American manufacturers say they are struggling to fill the jobs they already have.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly half a million open manufacturing jobs right now.

…

One big reason manufacturers can’t fill these jobs overnight is because they require workers to have particular skills. And it’s not just skills needed to work on assembly lines. Only around 2 in 5 manufacturing jobs are directly involved in making stuff. Manufacturers also employ people to do research and development, engineering, design, finance, sales, marketing and so on.

https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/05/13/g-s1-66112/why-arent-americans-filling-the-manufacturing-jobs-we-already-have

The late Steve Jobs explained to Obama why he and others have gone overseas….

The famously blunt Apple boss wasn’t shy about shooting down the president’s musings. “Those jobs aren’t coming back,” he replied.

The reason why wasn’t just lower costs in countries like China. “Rather, Apple’s executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have so outpaced their American counterparts that ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ is no longer a viable option for most Apple products,” wrote the Times, summing up discussions.

To illustrate, the paper offered a story shared by a former Apple executive about a last-minute design change to the iPhone’s screen that forced a change in the manufacturing process at the Chinese factory where the phones were being assembled.

Around midnight, a foreman “roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing more than 10,000 iPhones a day,” the article reveals.

“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive told the Times. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/steve-jobs-quote-on-american-manufacturing-still-applies-today/91181530

Will those ‘well paying’ jobs ever return….and if they do will Americans rush to snap them up?

But I am sure that there are some out there that feel confident that Donny’s plan will do the thing that he has promised.

Sadly I am not one of them.

But it you feel strongly that this is the proper way to go about this situation then by all means explain why you feel that way.

We await the answers.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

All Those Manufacturing Jobs

That is the promise from Little Donny and his strangling tariffs….it will bring those lost manufacturing jobs back to the USA.  He talked that point up all campaign all along and he still clings to the dream of all those jobs returning to the US….that single piece of rhetoric probably got him a bunch of votes.

But the reality does not echo his hollow promise…..

The trade war is no longer just a geopolitical talking point — it’s now a frontline reality for thousands of workers across North America. In the wake of sweeping new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, a growing list of companies have announced job cuts, operational pauses, and in some cases, full-scale shutdowns. The fallout is cascading through industries as diverse as automotive, steel, consumer goods, and even tabletop gaming.

…

Industry experts warn that what we’re seeing now could be a prelude to deeper economic challenges. A report from Forbes estimates that over 5.6 million jobs across manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics may be at risk if trade tensions continue to escalate.

As political leaders debate trade strategy on the global stage, the consequences are being felt by workers, families, and small businesses across North America. With companies large and small struggling to adapt, and many caught in the crossfire of retaliatory measures, the tariff fallout is proving to be more than an economic theory — it’s a lived reality for thousands.

(barchart.com)

But what about most Americans…..what do they think?

Manufacturing once dominated the U.S. job market. In 1970, more than 25% of American workers held manufacturing jobs. Today, it’s only around 8%, and many of those jobs look very different than they used to.

Despite this drop, support for manufacturing remains high. A 2024 Cato Institute survey found that 80% of Americans believe the country would be better off with more manufacturing jobs. But when asked if they personally would prefer a factory job over their current work, only 25% agreed. About 73% said no, and just 2% of respondents actually work in manufacturing today.

So what gives? According to Carolyn Lee, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute, the jobs that still exist in modern factories are not what they used to be. “The majority of the jobs in the sector are not entry-level jobs that have no skills,” she told CNN. These roles now require everything from certifications to software and robotics skills.

https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44880439/80-of-americans-say-the-country-would-be-better-off-with-more-manufacturing-jobs-but-only-25-want-one-themse

What will any return mean?

https://reason.com/2025/04/15/do-americans-really-want-to-bring-back-manufacturing/

Did you read that?  80% think bringing manufacturing jobs back is a good policy….but only about 25% wants one of them.

So if these jobs return who will man the machinery?

The administration is getting rid of cheap labor or maybe they could find some AI contraption to fill the jobs.

The return of these jobs is not on the horizon in my opinion….No I do not think Donny can make good on his campaign promise…

Today, only 9 percent of Americans work in manufacturing. That’s not nothing. And, in fact, the sector has been adding jobs recently after getting hammered during the recession.

But the long-run picture is clear. Manufacturing jobs will never again hold the central place in our economy that they once did. At the same time lots of other sectors — health care, professional services — will continue to become more important, and will continue to offer good, middle-class jobs. But those jobs will not, for the most part, be open to high school dropouts.

Education, not manufacturing, is the key to long-term job growth in America.

The percentage of Americans working in manufacturing fell under President Reagan. It also fell under Presidents Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama (respectively).

Which is to say, the decline of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. economy is not about who is president or what his policies are. It’s the result of long-running, irreversible, historical factors (read: technology and globalization).

(npr.org)

Sorry people these so-called ‘good jobs’ are not coming back.

Any deep thoughts on this or the promises made?  (Please refrain from blaming the Dems or Biden these results are all on the present administration)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

US Farmers Plead

The president-elect has promised to massively deport immigrants on day one….and that is yet to be seen….but US farmers are in a panic at the possible loss of workers….what to do?  What to do?

Beg….comes to mind….

As Donald Trump’s second presidential transition hurtles forward, his plan to mass-deport undocumented immigrants is causing farmers to panic — and, tellingly, to beg for exemptions.

With undocumented farmworkers potentially being targeted in the vague incoming immigration raids, lobbying groups are proposing expanded legal pathways to help undocumented agricultural workers attain visas.

“We need the certainty, reliability, and affordability of a workforce program and programs that are going to allow us to continue to deliver food from the farm to the table,” John Hollay of the International Fresh Produce Association told Reuters.

During his last turn at the head of ICE, Homan became infamous for defending the first Trump administration’s cruel family separation policy. In light of his second incoming stint with the president-elect, some farmer advocates are using that rhetoric against the proposed policy.

In an interview with Newsweek, dairy farmer Jennifer Tilton Flood of the Flood Brothers Farm in Maine said that because her family’s facilities are located close to the United States’ border with Canada, it’s “within the control” of Customs and Border Patrol. As such, that department could potentially act “without due diligence” to deport the people who work there.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/farmers-deportation-cheap-labor-trump

Is their concern the loss of workers or the loss of cheap labor?

Trump may listen if the huge agribusiness talks but if it is just the little farmer they may just bend over a accept their fate for their vote.

Will the farmers keep their cheap labor?

Will the decision be a shot at the consumer yet again?

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Ports Drama…..

Of course every small minded person has had their emotions of high alert with the Longshoremen’s strike…..it has been getting a lot of press about the dire consequences if the strike is prolonged…..and now we have one of the first in panic buying….can you guess what it is?

If you ventured a guess and said toilet paper then you were spot on.

There is no squeeze on Charmin. Toilet paper makers said that consumers don’t need to fear shortages due to the ongoing strike at US ports. The American Forest and Paper Association, which represents makers of toilet paper, facial tissues, paper towels, and other wood products, said Wednesday that it was not aware of the strike having any impact on tissue product delivery in the US. The association said it spoke out after seeing reports on social media of consumers stocking up on toilet paper, the AP reports. It’s a common reaction in times of crisis; shoppers also hoarded toilet paper in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

but the trade group said approximately 85% of toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and tissues used in the US is made by US-based producers and not affected by the strike. Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike Tuesday, impacting 36 ports on the East and Gulf coasts. American Forest and Paper Association CEO Heidi Brock said her group is urging the US Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, and the union representing around 45,000 dockworkers to come to an agreement soon so the association’s members can resume exports.

But everyone can breath a sight for now for there has been a tentative agreement that would pause the strike until January.

After receiving an enhanced contract proposal, the International Longshoremen’s Association suspended its three-day strike on Thursday that has shut major East and Gulf coast ports. The existing contract will remain in place through Jan. 15 to allow time for more negotiation over other issues, the Washington Post reports, after port owners proposed a 62% pay raise. If dockworkers stay on the job, the US economy would not be subject to the feared disruption, including possible shortages of consumer products and higher prices.

he union’s statement said that it reached “a tentative agreement on wages” that will allow the 45,000 workers to return to the job, per the New York Times. A 62% jump would be less than the union wanted—77%—but more than the US Maritime Alliance had proposed earlier in the week, which was 50% over six years. Under the tentative terms, longshoremen at the top of the scale would receive an increase of $24 an hour over the six years. A union vice president told the Post he thinks the outstanding issues can be settled. “I believe that all parties are energized,” Vincent Cameron said.

Lay off the toilet paper and calm down.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Labor Day Message–2024

Happy Labor Day!

I have lots of grilling to do so this will be the only post today….but I think the message that was in this DNC speech needs repeating and often…..and a way to honor our workers on Labor day.

AS a past organizer for the IWW I have always wanted more emphasis by our candidates to put the workers above the special interests and in all my years of political watching I have yet to see that happening…..

I will say I like the speech given by John Russel at the recent DNC….words that need repeating, as I have said…..it is said that his speech was the most radical convention speech in history.

The Democratic National Convention featured a video and speech from More Perfect Union reporter John Russell, who stressed to the Chicago crowd that the party has an opportunity to win over working-class people.

“Thank you to the workers that make this convention happen,” Russell began. “Let’s never forget how essential all of our labor is.”

“I come from Appalachia,” he explained. “We kept the lights on in this country for generations. But the wealth made by our broken backs and our black lungs never did trickle down. And Washington listened to rich men demanding that we stick with dirty energy at any cost.”

“Across the country, working-class people are looking for a political home, after years of both parties putting profit above people,” he said before taking aim at the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump—who has chosen Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), author of Hillbilly Elegy, as his running mate.

“Now Trump, a billionaire, says that he’ll take on the elites, but then he promises handouts to Big Oil and he punches down at anyone with the guts to be different,” Russell noted. “Populism that insists we are too different to get along is just divide and conquer by a different name.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/john-russell

The workers need to be better represented in Congress…..we have enough sycophants that only concern is how much cash they can milk out of the special interests.

Labor is the driving force…..let’s look at something Eugene Debs wrote many years ago…..

I would hail the day upon which it could be truthfully said, “Labor conquers everything,” with inexpressible gratification. Such a day would stand first in Labor’s Millennium, that prophesied era when Christ shall begin his reign on the earth to continue a thousand years. The old Latin fathers did a large business in manufacturing maxims, and the one I have selected for a caption of this article has been required to play shibboleth since, like “a thing of beauty and a joy forever,” it came forth from its ancient laboratory. It is one of those happy expressions which embodies quite as much fancy as fact.

The time has arrived for thoughtful men identified with labor — by which I mean the laboring classes — to inquire, what does labor conquer? Or what has it conquered in all the ages? Or what is it now conquering?

“Labor Omina Vincit”

Put your vote for the good of the people not to massage some egocentric tool….I agree with Debs when he stated….“I’d rather vote for what I want and not get it, than for what I don’t want and get it.”  And that is why I have not voted for a presidential winner since 1976…..not a very good track record but my principles mean more to me than a tick in the win column

Let me reiterate….“I’d rather vote for what I want and not get it, than for what I don’t want and get it.”

Enjoy your day and as always….Be well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”