We owe much to strikers

David E. Kelly

Some of us work eight hour days. We work five days per week, with a

paid annual vacation.

It wasn’t always so in this country. Many have died to win these

rights for American workers. Although law made the eight-hour work

day mandatory, many factories in Chicago in May of 1886 continued to

force people to work 10-, 12- and 14-hour days, in many cases without

a day off. The laws favoring workers were not enforced.

After a strike at that time, five of those workers who were

involved in the infamous Haymarket Massacre were hung on the

scaffold. They were tried on very flimsy evidence. Others who were

imprisoned were later found innocent and were pardoned.

On Oct. 19 a poll found that 54% of Americans are dissatisfied

with the overall quality of health care in this country. Two thirds

of those polled said they are worried about being able to afford

health insurance. The U.S. government said that 15% of the U.S.

population, about 44-million people, were uninsured at some time

during 2002.

Meanwhile, about 62% of Americans said they prefer a universal,

government health care system, such as that provided in most European

countries, as opposed to the present employer-based system.

It is for these reasons that the grocery clerks of Southern

California are striking. And they deserve our support in their

struggles for a fair wage and decent health care, the very same

things we all want.

It should not be forgotten that our state and federal legislators,

who make these laws, all have very generous, taxpayer-paid health

insurance. Not to mention their bloated salaries and retirement

programs.

Instead of whining about the inconvenience to shoppers, who could

almost as easily go to other markets in Laguna Beach and the

surrounding areas, let’s give our support to those who spend hours

and hours standing on picket lines. They deserve nothing less.

Why don’t we read news stories about the worker whose wife works

at another supermarket and is on strike, trying to support his

family, with a 10-year-old girl and 2-year-old son? Why don’t we hear

about the single mothers trying to support their children?

Remember, you could be the next one to have your medical insurance

taken away, whether incrementally, or all at once. And if you should

be lucky enough to work an eight-hour day, not have to work seven

days a week, and have a paid vacation, you have striking workers to

thank.

* EDITOR’S NOTE: David E. Kelly is a Laguna Beach resident.