A New Way of Labor

Labor Day weekend has come and gone.  While many are returning to work Tuesday morning, I’m actually trying to find a few days of respite from the freelance treadmill of the past few months.

The ongoing narrative in some corners is that the world of work is changing. I know that’s true, but it still seems like–at least from my perspective–that most people I know in Maine still work structured hours, often 9 to 5, with available paid vacation time, at least enough to spend long weekends away from their work whenever there is a national holiday, like yesterday’s. Inevitably, they turn these into three, or four-day weekends away from the office.

Vacation Day

Vacation Day

Continue reading

The Labor Shift

Work defines who we are in America. When I was born, the models for work were General Motors, IBM, and Xerox among many. These large corporations were built on a tacit understanding that once you made your way through their doors, you were taken care of for life—or at least until you retired. Of course, there were pensions back then, so you were taken care of during retirement, too. Continue reading