It's Labor Day - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

LuvMyLilDoggie · 09-04-2006, 10:26 AM

Time to relax and enjoy some time to yourselves or with your family.

For those of you who cannot take the day off of caregiving, please get someone to assist you so that you can at least have a few hours free for yourself. If you can't do it today, make arrangements and mark a day on the calendar for your own personal Labor Day. This is a day to celebrate the worker and who works harder than a caregiver? You need it and deserve it! Give yourselves a pat on the back for a job well done!

Love, Barb

Martha H · 09-04-2006, 10:46 AM

Good idea! Everyone needs time to just relax.

My Dad (died in 1977) was a part of the great labor union movement from the 1930s to his death - this was in the day when factory workers worked 6 days a week, 12 hours a day for tiny wages - not enough to live on. He was a factory worker too but then became a union representative for his local - he was re-elected to that job for over 30 years. He refused to accept a paycheck higher than the ones the regular workers in the factory were receiving. It was the United Furniture Workers of America, and he was a mattress maker.

Looking out at the world of today, I wonder if those now employed at fast food chains and other low wage jobs ought to regroup and form new unions.

But most especially those who care for the sick, the elderly and small children in day care centers and nursing homes and hospitals, who ought to recieve more pay than many other career groups but just traditionally work for peanuts .. God bless them all on Labor Day!

Love,

Martha

LuvMyLilDoggie · 09-04-2006, 11:14 AM

Before I got the job I'm at, I worked for a national retail department store chain (higher up than WalMart but not as high as Macy's). I was paid $7/hr. (less than what WalMart pays here). I worked part time and they knew I needed more than 20 hours a week. So I got it. Until I was there for 1 year. Then I became vested into the company which means that they were contributing to my retirement acct. As soon as that happened, my hours were cut to 10-15 a week. Since I was paying into health insurance at a cost of $71/wk, most of my checks were for less than $10. Some of my checks were $0. This health insurance only paid up to $5,000/yr per FAMILY. This included prescriptions and everything. And they gave me he// if I sent in a claim for a penny of it!

So today I sit back and think no, with this job I have now, I don't have medical insurance. BUT I do have paychecks that allow me to pay my bills now. And I'm grateful for that. I am in a union and our contract is up for renewal in about 2 years. Our department had about 82 employees when the last contract was ratified 3 years ago. Now we're up to 264 employees. We're stronger than we've ever been.

So in two years, we'll see...

And I LOVE THIS JOB!!!!

Love, Barb