Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Remembering May Day

Two days late...but better late than never.

In an age where our communication methods allow us to work all the time, it is important to remember why May 1 is International Workers Day. According to Wikipedia:

...in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States, to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in the general strike and the U.S. Haymarket Riot of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday.
Of course, we thought that technology would allow us to work smarter and thus work less. Instead it has opened up global markets and the ability to communicate (and work) constantly. Officially, we may work an eight-hour day, but unofficially the work never ends.

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