SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 24, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 8/27/13
In this edition:
*A Personal Labor Day Story
*Labor Day
*Labor Day Picnic
*Sutliff Street Dance
*Other Weekend Events
*Did You Know?
*A Personal Labor Day Story
I have had several requests to reprint the following piece, which
first appeared in Salvos in 2007. As a side note, Marian Sullivan passed away
in 2009. Once again, I dedicate this piece in her memory.
Monday marks Labor Day. Every year, I write the same piece, noting
the good that organized labor has done for this country.
This year, I have decided to go a different route. I would like to
explain what organized labor has done for me personally. I give you – my family
story. This is the story of Tom and Marian (Pint) Sullivan. It is also the
story of the American Dream.
Tom Sullivan grew up near the small Iowa town of Elma, one of many
children. They were very poor. Tom was forced to go to work very young, and
quit school around the 4th grade. He had tremendous familial
responsibilities for a ten year old. Like most Americans of the day, he worked
on the farm. But the times were very challenging. As he aged, Tom had any
number of odd jobs in order to supplement his income; hired man, ditch digger,
bouncer, bartender – just about any work would do. A huge man for his day, Tom
even entered tough man competitions, wrestling or fighting a passing
barnstormer in the hopes of making a buck.
Marian Pint had a big family, too. They might have been even
poorer than the Sullivans. Marian always got something for Christmas, but to
say the gifts were modest is an understatement. One year she received a doll
handmade from cornhusks; another year it was a piece of citrus fruit. After
high school, Marian went to work. Marian made a ridiculously low wage; I seem
to recall her mentioning making less than a dollar a day. She was working in a
general store when she met Tom, who had a second job cutting and delivering
ice.
Tom and Marian were married, and tried to begin a life on the
farm. Farming during the Depression was simply not working out; Tom and Marian
could not afford to buy any land, so rents ate up all their income. When their
first child (my father) was born, they had a dirt floor and neither electricity
nor running water. Life was hard for the Sullivans, but not any more difficult
than it was for tens of millions of Americans of the day.
Finally, they had had enough. A couple hours to the south, Cedar
Rapids offered a new beginning. World War II had just begun, and industry was
taking off in Cedar Rapids. Anybody who was willing to work, regardless of race
or gender, could join a labor union. Tom joined Carpenter’s Local 308; Marian
united with many other women in the workforce and joined the United Food and
Commercial Worker’s Local at Wilson’s Meatpacking.
The Carpenter’s Union struggled during the Depression. Even
afterward, some carpenters felt they had a better chance of getting work being
non-union. But Tom knew it was more important to join his peers, and compete on
a level playing field. Alone, carpenters could be gouged or cheated. Together,
they would be treated fairly.
Soon the War ended, and prosperity arrived. Hard work was paying
off. The Sullivans were able to buy a house, a car, and put their kids through
Catholic school. They didn’t get a television right away, but because Tom was
willing to put an antenna on the roof next door, he got to go to the neighbors
to watch pro wrestling.
Despite decades of newfound wealth, not everything was perfect.
Years of hard work caused Tom’s body to break down. His last years were spent
using a wheelchair. Marian suffered from repetitive motion injuries. The UFCW
union was busted at Wilson’s, and Marian’s pension and health insurance never
quite lived up to their promises.
So, what is their legacy? Tom and Marian pulled their family from poverty
to the middle class. They lived the American Dream. Every one of their
grandkids had healthcare coverage. Every one of their grandkids had the
opportunity to get a college education. Every one of their grandkids had the
kinds of opportunities many Americans have come to expect, but much of the
world can only dream about.
So how did Tom & Marian Sullivan pull this off? Yes, they
worked hard. But so did most Americans. Tom and Marian made this all happen
because they joined the organized labor movement.
They never did anything alone; they did it through solidarity.
They were special people, but not unique. There are millions of stories just
like theirs, and none of the characters are unique. You did not need to be the
best or the brightest; you simply needed to join up and work hard. If you did,
the rewards were there.
There have always been the rich and the poor. But a large middle
class is a relatively new phenomenon. Organized labor created the middle class,
not just in Iowa, but all across this nation. Organized labor gave me the life
I enjoy today. That is why my Grandparents were union. That is why my Dad was
union. That is why I am union.
Nobody ever does it alone. We all do it together. United we stand,
divided we fall. Today, and on Labor Day, I honor my Grandma and Grandpa
Sullivan. And I honor their brothers and sisters in the labor movement.
Thank you Grandma & Grandpa. And thank you all. Happy Labor
Day!
*Labor Day
Happy
Labor Day next Monday! I love Labor Day. Every Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day
we set aside time to recall the folks whose service has given us our freedom. I
have long felt we need to treat Labor Day in a similar fashion.
Please take a moment this Labor Day to remember the people who
fought (and often died) to give us child labor laws, 40 hour weeks, weekends,
overtime, vacations, the minimum wage, sick leave, parental leave, OSHA,
employment nondiscrimination, pensions, Social Security, health insurance, and
so much more.
Do not be fooled! These benefits were not GIVEN to workers by
benevolent corporations! They were earned by workers who sacrificed! It is a
shame that so many average Joes have chosen to support our corporate masters
versus supporting those whose efforts really benefit the masses.
Unions continue to provide the best protections working people can
have. I feel as though I have accomplished some good things as a member of the
Board of Supervisors. One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud is
starting an employee appreciation lunch every year the week of Labor Day.
Johnson County employees deserve much more, but this is one extra opportunity
to say thank you.
Trust me – the average person has nothing to fear from unions. We
all benefit when folks have safe and healthy workplaces. We all benefit when
workers get adequate rest. We all benefit when workers receive good training.
We all benefit when folks earn a living wage and have health insurance. Unions
help improve the quality of life for all of us.
One example of a way in which unions benefit everyone: much is
made of the automobile industry expanding into the southern US. While these are
not union plants, workers still have good wages and benefits. Some see this as
an indictment of unions. It is precisely the opposite.
Do not think for a minute that these companies pay $22 per hour
because they WANT to. They would be much happier to pay $4 per hour. And, when
China’s workforce improves in quality to the point that they can do automotive
work, the companies will move there.
Understand – big companies exists for one reason, and that is to
earn a profit. If the laws allowed slavery, some companies would use it.
Because it is cheaper.
So why do they pay $22 in the southern US? Because of the threat
of the United Auto Workers (UAW). If the wages or benefits ever sink too low,
UAW could unionize those workers. The car companies don’t want that, so they
pay the lowest possible acceptable wage.
See? The UAW does not represent the workers at those plants. But
they have driven up the wages and benefits for the workers there all the same.
I am proud to be a member of Local 716 of the American Federation
of Teachers, an affiliate of the Iowa City Federation of Labor. Happy Labor
Day!
*Labor Day Picnic
The Iowa City Federation of Labor,
AFL-CIO, will host its annual Labor Day picnic on Monday, September 2, starting
at noon at Upper City Park, shelter 2. Burgers, brats, veggie options and
beverages provided. Please bring a dish to share. Political speeches and a good
time guaranteed. Free to all Friends of Labor. For more information call
Patrick Hughes, President, Iowa City Federation of Labor, 319-828-4541.
*Sutliff Street Dance
The
Sutliff Bridge Authority is holding its 29th Annual Street Dance fundraiser on Sunday,
September 1 in beautiful downtown Sutliff.
Gates
open at 12:00 noon - $5 donation requested. Music by Between Monsters from 1-5
pm. Food provided by the Johnson County Pork Producers. Limited beverages
provided by Baxa’s Sutliff Store and Tavern. No coolers please.
*Other Weekend Events
Fry
Fest Friday night; High School football Friday night; Hawkeye Football
Saturday; Regina Fall Fun Festival all weekend long…. There is no shortage of
fun events this weekend! Enjoy!
*DID YOU KNOW? The first observance of Labor Day is believed to
have been a parade on September 5, 1882, in New York City, probably organized
by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more
than half the states were observing a "Labor Day" on one day or
another, and a bill to establish a federal holiday was passed by Congress in
1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating
the first Monday in September as Labor Day.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
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come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 10:18 AM
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