Over a century ago People worked 12 hour days, six or seven days a year. Eventually, the standard was made 40 hours and the first Monday of September was declared Labor Day, a national holiday.
We've regressed from what I've seen. This morning I was out to see a friend and passed some stores along the qay. I'd guess at least 200 people were laboring in them. Why can't we all take a day off as was intended?
Many won't believe this...in the '50's virtually nothing was open on the we ekend! Maybe full-service gas stations on Saturday. A drug store on Sunday. ..you'd have to know where. Mom planned her shopping and knew what her meal s would be for the week...and this was the big city of Chicago!
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six or seven days a year? That's 358 to 360 days off. You want ANOTHER one :-)
It was the same growing up in Philadelphia We did family things on Sunday and holidays, visited relatives, went fishing with Dad, dinner at grandma's picnicked with Uncle Jim.
I th>
Because market forces prevail. There are convenience stores that choose to stay open on Labour Day knowing that all of the supermarkets are closed and people looking to buy something they really need will be willing to pay more for it at a convenience store.
And, there are people willing to work in those convenience stores on Labour Day because they feel it's just another day.
I don't believe it would be appropriate to make it an offense to do business on a civic holiday like Labour Day. If people want to work that day, they should be allowed to.
Yes, union demands!
Not so in the New York area.
In the 1950's around New York everything was open on Saturday. For people who worked Monday to Friday Saturday was the big shopping day.
On Sundays all large businesses were closed. Gas stations, newsstands, delis, restaurants and bars were open.
Yes, but NYC is whole nother place!
Even today you will find migrant workers working 7 days a week. In the
1880s a 60 hour week was quite common. Keep in mind, some places closed Saturday for the Jewish people too, but 7 days was not out of the question.What supermarkets closed? I passed three of them this morning and all are open. They used to close in the 1950's, but no longer. Tat is my point.
Sure, some to, but many would rather enjoy a day off with friends and family. Not a question of making it an offense, but a question of ethics Stores are afraid to close and lose a sale to the competition. Some of the smaller shops do, not the big stores.
And I dare say that many of those working today (a) had no choice, and (b) aren't getting overtime rates for working on a holiday.
Perce
I haven't seen that situation since Massachusetts and their blue laws in the '70s. I think they finally gave up. I really appreciated their deep religious convictions. I worked six days a week so when I wanted to go grocery shopping on the Sabbath, I either had to drive to Connecticut or go to Abe's Kosher Market. Abe's didn't get a free pass -- they had to close on Saturday.
iirc, in NY in the '60s there were classes of businesses that could be open on Sunday, for example if you sold souvenirs.
Two Guys was one of the first KMart/Target type operations where I lived in upstate NY and they elected to sell souvenirs. If you just happened to buy something that wasn't a souvenir, like a toaster, that was okay too.
It certainly wasn't upstate NY. Friday night was when the stores stayed open late (9 PM) and most people shopped. The stores were open on Saturday but many closed at noon. Sunday you sort of hunkered down.
Yes it is. NYC had even more businesses open on Sunday than were open in the suburbs.
Many Jewish owned businesses were closed Saturday and open on Sunday.
Are you kidding? When we can get people to work a holiday, and pay them straight time, why shut down? If they refuse, fire them. The free market is a grand place!!
On Mon, 01 Sep 2014 13:16:17 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote in
A lot of people would prefer to work and get the "time and a half". They need the $$ to support their conspicuous consumption addiction.
And with tax rates as high as they are (combined with inflation), a body needs to work more, to buy the same things our parents bought with one parent working, and a 40 hour week.
We'd go to see the Phillies on a Sunday. Were these people working?
Ben,
Sorry but I don't believe that. I lived in Boston in the 50s. Both the downtown and all of the neighborhood shopping districts were doing business on Saturdays. I think everything closed by 9:00. On Sunday the convenience stores and pharmacies were open. I think that what they could sell on Sunday was regulated by "Blue Laws". I really doubt that Chicago was any different. When did people shop if not Saturday?
Dave M.
OK don't believe it...I lived through it, but I must have imagined it! Maybe our 5 mile radius on the NW side had no Jewish population to have stores open? Most shopping was local and not at a "Shopping Center" (there were no malls).
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