The first Monday in September, Labour Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

 

As we approach Labour Day lets us reflect on the struggles that workers have been challenged with
throughout the past year. Frontline workers, such as our healthcare workers, teachers and the support staff in our schools to the workers who kept our grocery stores open and stocked as they deal with the covid pandemic which is still a concern to this day as the fourth wave over takes us.
Construction workers kept building the needed infrastructure projects (schools, pipelines, hospitals & clinics, transportation projects) that are needed in our society. Maintenance workers who still went into work to keep refineries, power plants, warehouses operating for our needs during the pandemic.

Let us not forget the workers who lost their jobs due to whole industries (hotels, restaurants, tri-leisure centres and many more) being forced to close to the public to comply with public health measures issued in our province. Many of these workers are only starting to return to work as restrictions are lifted in the last month but now face the fourth wave of covid-19. This Labour Day, Greater Edmonton Alliance has a deeper appreciation of the value and importance of all workers and the contributions they make to our communities and our well-being. Now let us look to the future and build a fair recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and a more hopeful
future we all can look forward too.