A Joyful Practice

FTWMI: Working Together (a post–practice Monday post w/ an extra excerpt) September 2, 2024

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone working to build friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).

Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

For Those Who Missed It: This post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, September 2^nd (which was Labor Day in the United States and parts of Canada) was originally posted in 2023. Date-related statistics and some relevant context have been added or updated. The 2024 prompt question was, “Which part of your mind-body needs work, which part needs rest, and which part is just here for fun?” You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“Strike: ‘A temporary stoppage of work by a group of workers in order to express a grievance or to enforce a demand. Such a grievance or demand may or may not be workplace-related.’

– -The first sentence of this definition is heavily influenced by Peterson (1937: 3),¹ also used by Hyman (1989: 17).² The only difference we make to the first part of this definition is by changing ‘employees’ to ‘workers.’

Labor Protest: ‘Collective action by a group of people as workers but without withdrawing their labor in order to express a grievance or enforce a demand. Such a grievance or demand may or may not be workplace-related. A labor protest may also consist of a group of people not acting in the protest as workers as long as the central demand is workplace related.’

We distinguish between strikes and labor protests as a core component of our labor action tracker. The major distinction between strikes and labor protests relates to whether a group of workers stopped work during the course of the event. We believe this definition of strikes is relatively inclusive, but we need to convincingly demonstrate that a stoppage of work led by a group of workers occurs to label an event a strike.”

— quoted “Section I: Definitions” on the “Methodology” page of the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker 

The last few years have been the most active years, in my lifetime, with regard to labor action. According to the Labor Action Tracker maintained by Cornell University, 394 strikes occurred in 615 locations between September 4, 2022 and September 4, 2023. That is in addition to 458 labor protests (in 568 locations) during the same period. That’s a total of 852 labor actions found in 1183 locations.

2024 Update: Between September 2, 2023 and September 2, 2024, the Labor Action Tracker counted 380 strikes in 591 locations, plus an additional 609 labor protests in 705 locations; for a total of 989 labor actions in 1296 locations.

Some of these labor disputes — like the strikes involving teachers and school staffs, nurses, and members of SAG-AFTRA* and the Writers Guild, as well as the Starbucks union initiatives and various Teamster union actions — have been front and center in the media and in the minds of the general populace. Some — like the nearly 2-year long Warrior Met Coal strike in Alabama (April 1, 2021 – March 2, 2023 ) — never got the kind of coverage that sways public opinion one way (or the other). The thing is, all of these labor actions occur because people want the same things workers have always wanted: better working conditions and better pay.

On one hand, better working conditions and better pay do not seem too much to ask when companies are pulling in billions (and sometimes) trillions of dollars — and/or when corporate leaders and superintendents are being paid even as stocks fall and children struggle. On the other hand….

Yep, nope; not going to both sides this. Because, at the end of the day, the companies — not to mention the country — run because of the workers who are asking for the same things people have always wanted: to be safe and to make enough money to take care of themselves and their families. Additionally, it inevitably costs more (on a lot of different levels) to not come to the bargaining table and work out an agreement than it does for everyone to come together and work together.

Click here for the 2020/2022 post that shows how all of this is rooted in the history of Labor Day. (Includes video!)

In many ways, the way labor works in the world is similar to the way the different parts of our mind-body-spirits work. We may think one part has nothing to do with another part because the two parts are not touching on the outside (and, therefore, we are not conscious of the connections); but, let the imbalance go unaddressed and suddenly the whole system falls apart. Similarly, we can argue that focusing on one part takes away from another part. However, if we don’t work to create balance, the imbalance will (again) cause our system to fail.

Bottom line: If the workers don’t work, the company (and the country) don’t work. Everything shuts down. Additionally, when people are forced to work in unsafe and unfair conditions, they break down — which ultimately results in the company (and the country) breaking down. Finally, when we come together and figure out equitable ways to work together, everyone benefits — even those people who are not in a specific union and/or industry.

“I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”

— Eugene V. Debs, quoted from his statement to the Federal Court (Cleveland, Ohio), after being convicted of violating the Sedition Act, September 18, 1918

In 2024, Labor Day coincided with the birthdays of several workers, including a couple impacted by strikes within the last year.

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.

Magic? No. Magical? Yes, yes! (*Updated)

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

*NOTE: SAG-AFTRA is the Screen Actors and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. 

“¹Peterson, F. (1937). Strikes in the United States: 1880-1936. Washington: United States Department of Labor.

² Hyman, R. (1989). Strikes: Fourth Edition. London: Macmillan.”

— quoted “Section I: Definitions” on the “Methodology” page of the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker

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