Labor Day weekend is coming our way once again. by Rick Winterson If that statement seems to have overtones (undertones?) of sadness, well, South Boston Online guesses that it does. It has been a great summer, especially when contrasted with our forbiddingly snowy, recordbreaking winter. The summer in the Year of Our Lord 2016 really didn’t begin until well into June; the snow farm on Tide Street over in the Waterfront officially took till July 14 to disappear. The rest of the summer seemed to speed by. The Bard put it best in his 18th Sonnet, “ … And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:” Well, it’s time to put away the white clothes and the sunscreen, and get back to work. But first, accept our best wishes for a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day from South Boston Online and our surrounding neighborhood, which comprises East Broadway, Third, and Fourth, from H through L Streets. We think there’s something special about this particular neighborhood in South Boston, just as there is about every one of the neighborhoods in South Boston. We believe it’s due to the numerous businesses you’ll find around here. Furthermore, we also believe that it’s because so many of these businesses are either family-owned or owned by individuals who are devoted to South Boston’s well-being – past, present, and future. Is there a connection between this neighborhood feeling and Labor Day. You betcha! The connection stems from the many, many jobs here, and the work (Labor, with a capital “L”) that is necessary to fill them. How many local young people have found useful, fair-paying work along East Broadway and its surrounding blocks? South Boston Online hasn’t counted, but it’s a lot. How many locally owned new businesses have moved in, replacing ones that used to be here? Same answer: a lot. The people you see here every day work hard; their labor serves you well. Many of them will be working on Labor Day to serve you. They live here and raise their families here as well. And we’d be remiss in not mentioning those who work in non-business organizations in our neighborhood, such as the Fire Station, the South Boston Branch Library, and the Tynan School/Community Center. Happy Labor Day to you, too. Samuel Gompers was the guru of the American Labor movement early in the 20th Century. He stated (emphatically) that working men and women deserve eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, and eight hours devoted to their own pursuits each day. We won’t argue with Mr. Gompers; he was right. But he was also incomplete. Gompers forgot to say that working men and women in America deserve an opportunity to advance themselves. That comes from being able to work your way through school. Or to earn and receive a promotion as your responsibilities grow. Or to “learn the ropes” on the job, and then go out on your own. All of these depend on your own efforts – your own Labor – in a local job. And Happy Labor Day!
