Hello and Happy Labor Day

"Is this thing on?......The bombing begins in 10 minutes."

(That is one of the greatest of union-busters, Ronald Reagan, amusing himself)

For Labor Day, I have a story. My grandfather was a shop steward for UE at Westinghouse in Philadelphia, militant to a fare-thee-well. My father was the first in this (my) shanty-Irish family to attend college, where he studied physics and eventually became a physicist. One summer during college, my grandfather helped get him a job doing research at the plant. At some point during the summer, a grievance issue led my grandfather to call a strike and set up a picket line. And across this picket line, he proceeded to escort my father, his son!

I should add that we learned early on from my dad that a scab was one of the worst things one could be, and that crossing a picket line was a sin for which the recitation of no amount of hail-marys could atone.

Anyway, my grandfather, who died in the late 60's, was the kindest man I have ever known. Happy Labor Day, Da-Bill.