ROAD SIGNS FOR THE JOURNEY: LABOR DAY

6 Elul, Monday, September 1                     LABOR DAY

While traveling on the highway I noticed a sign that read: 

Protect Highway Workers

They may be invisible, but they are paving your way.

Speeding along toward our destination, this message awakens drivers to the people out of our line of sight who risk their own lives in order to make our journey smoother.

How many people pave our way every single day, yet remain invisible?

In recent years I have become acutely aware of some of the invisible workers who make my life easier. Since I first met the housekeepers at the Hyatt Hotels in Boston in 2009, I’ve made a point to greet the housekeepers when I stay at a hotel, and to leave a generous tip. Until that time, staying at a hotel was a great luxury. Even even when I was there for work-related reasons, I relished the comfort of having others make up my bed and clean the bathroom, but I did not pay much attention to the people who made sure I was comfortable.

When I visited Immokalee, Florida and met migrant workers who pick tomatoes I became attuned to the hardships they face so that I can enjoy my salad. Taking part in the “Raise Up Massachusetts” movement to increase the minimum wage, I began to consider the hard life of restaurant and fast-food workers. Because they are invisible, their working conditions are also invisible. These are among the most vulnerable workers in our society. We don’t know them. But does that mean we don’t care?

This past week the courageous workers at Market Basket gleefully returned to work after 40 days of protest. They too are among the workers behind the scenes, moving groceries into stores where shoppers can conveniently pick meals and snacks off the shelves.

Grateful for all the comforts that money can buy, I have made it a priority to protect the people who pave my way. This Labor Day, notice the paved roads, the clean sheets, the delicious meals that are prepared on your behalf, and think about the people who have devoted their lives to making yours easier. Then consider how you can protect them.