Pictured, from left, are Facundo Zavala Jr. and his son Jose Maria Zavala, Guadalupe Guerra Jr., Jim Ploesch, and Candie Herrera. (Staff photos by Heather C. Cox)
By HEATHER C. COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
Has the purpose for which Labor Day was designed been lost due to the present economic crises? The News hit the streets to find out what the public believes.
Being that one San Benitian, when approached by this reporter, hadn’t even heard of Labor Day, let’s start at the beginning.
Labor Day occurs the first Monday in September, and according to the United States Government’s (usa.gov) definition, it is the celebration of “contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of America.”
Sometimes this can result in workers being given paid time off from their jobs, and sometimes people celebrate in a variety of ways from taking elaborate vacations to much needed stay-cations where they hang out by a pool and relax.
San Benitian Facundo Zavala Jr., a 24-year-old pawn broker, held his son closely in a mad dash to perform some errands. “I have to work on Labor Day,” Zavala said. “If I can, I would like to have a barbeque. Some people just work on Labor Day.”
The US Department of Labor said that the first Labor Day “was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.” Two years later, in 1884, the holiday was transferred to Monday, and the Central Labor Union had begun urging similar organizations in other cities “to follow the example of New York and celebrate a ‘workingmen’s holiday’” on that date. But according to statistics released by the United States government for July 2012, the state of Texas has an unemployment rate of 7.2 percent.
The unemployment rates for colonias, of which there are many in the Rio Grande Valley as well as in and near San Benito, specifically, can be “more than eight times the state rate,” according to the official website of the Secretary of State, Hope Andrade (www.sos.state.tx.us).
Jim Ploesch, 71, said he is unemployed but looking avidly for work. Regarding his Labor Day plans, he quickly said, “Right now I just haven’t got the money to go running around on the holiday. I’m trying to get a job…but I haven’t heard anything yet.”
Another San Benito resident, Guadalupe Guerra Jr., who is retired, said he isn’t planning to go anywhere. “I’m just going to stay home and watch the Cowboys game on Monday night.”
With gasoline prices expected to raise anywhere from $.05-.25 per gallon over the weekend (before eventually dropping), even a little trip to the beach could be difficult for those in a financial bind.
Candie Herrera, 25, who was just getting off of a shift at her job, said, “I work from 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Hopefully after that I can take my boys to the beach or to the park or something, so they can have a rest from school.” She wanted to juggle family and relaxation time around a work schedule if possible.
With high unemployment rates in the lower Valley and so many San Benitians affected by the economy, either without work or with jobs that will have open doors on Labor Day, it looks like celebratory actions may be secondary for some.
To read this story in print, pick up a copy of the September 2 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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