Monday, September 03, 2007

The Sacrifices of Labor

Happy Labor Day 2007 to all working men and women.

I want to send out special greetings to the members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66 and the Boilmakers Local 154. These dedicated Western Pennsylvania labor unions last year sent foursomes to my golf outing. Operating Engineers Local 66 also graciously invited me to join them in marching in Pittsburgh's Labor Day Parade. I appreciated your consideration of my candidacy.

To commemorate the day, I want to share the photo below of a mural by the Croatian artist Maxo Vanka (1890-1963). It shows the great sacrifices often made by working families:

The mural (which has vibrant colors not seen in this B&W photo) is one of many painted in 1937 and 1941 by Vanka on the walls of St. Nicholas Catholic Church, an ethnic Croatian parish in Millvale, PA. It is entitled "The immigrant mother raises her sons for industry."


Unfortunately, the recent Utah miners tragedy demonstrates that his sort of sacrifice is not a thing of the past.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I have seen the murals at St. Nicholas Millvale many times and I am always moved by them. Unfortunately, whether it is labor issues, wealth and poverty, or war, the murals are as relevant today as when they were first painted. They are worthy of a pilgrimage to Pittsburgh to see some of the most powerful spiritual/political art (in my opinion)ever done!
Helen