Monday Motivation: Labor Day

"The following duties bind the wealthy owner and the employer: not to look upon their work people as their bondsmen, but to respect in every man his dignity as a person ennobled by Christian character. ...to misuse men as though they were things in the pursuit of gain, or to value them solely for their physical powers - that is truly shameful and inhuman. ...His great and principal duty is to give every one what is just. Doubtless, before deciding whether wages are fair, many things have to be considered; but wealthy owners and all masters of labor should be mindful of this - that to exercise pressure upon the indigent and the destitute for the sake of gain, and to gather one's profit out of the need of another, is condemned by all laws, human and divine. To defraud any one of wages that are his due is a great crime which cries to the avenging anger of Heaven."
-Pope Leo XII, Rerum Novarum


Today is Labor Day, and while many take their three-day weekend without much thought, there was a lot of toil and fighting that led to the concept of a weekend at all. We often take for granted the laws and provisions in place that make the workplace a safer and more just environment. Labor in the U.S. is far from perfect, and employers will still try to find loopholes to maximize profits at the expense of their employees' well-being. But we've come a long way. And we need to honor those who fought for our health, livelihood, and dignity, and we need to stay vigilant to ensure human worth is upheld above profit.