Labor Day in the U. S. of A.

Frank hosts today in the dVerse Poets Pub ~ it's time for a Haibun about "labor"

** statistics ~ much of the text is from The American Prospect ~ felt it important to share!

From the viewpoint of American workers there have been better Labor Days ~ last week the president announced his unilateral cancellation of the federal government's contracts with unions representing scientists, engineers, staffers at NASA, NOAA, the Patent Office and the International Trade Administration.

This ~ after contract terminations representing many thousands of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health and Human Services. The total number of workers 'trashed' now exceeds one million ~ approximately one-fifteenth of American workers covered by a union contract ~ by far the largest single act of union busting in American history.

Of course there are court cases pending ~ trump tells us it's his “right” to cancel union contracts because of "a clause” stating contracts should not extend to departments and agencies dealing with matters of “national security.” Explain to me how doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers caring for veterans, park rangers tending to Yosemite and Yellowstone, the massive number of federal employees who keep our nation running ~ endanger national security in the course of their work.

upheaval and angst 

tornadoes and hurricanes 

will it ever end