I come from a disorganized-labor family: Teamsters, New York Printers’ Union, Police Benevolent Association and etc. So I think Labor Day should mean something more than one-day sales and automobile  clearances.

But it doesn’t. Sadly, it’s just the unofficial end of summer. (See Joan Wickersham’s fine op-ed piece in Monday’s Boston Globe)

Before you start barking at me, there’s no question that labor unions have been their own worst enemy over the past few decades. Featherbedding, logrolling, extortion, intransigence, corruption – pick your accusation, unions have cut themselves to fit it.

And yet . . .

Let’s not forget it was labor unions that brought us the 40-hour workweek (hello, weekend) and unemployment insurance and OSHA and disability insurance.

So even if you’re not a fan of organized labor currently, you should be a fan of labor unions historically.