Samuel Gompers Wisdom for Labor Day or Any Day

Nothing says Labor Day quite like a good Samuel Gompers quote…

Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better men, time to become better women, time to become better and more independent citizens.

In terms of understanding the subtle shifts of history, however, this more practical quote from Gompers is still my favorite…

The worst crime against working people is a company which fails to operate at a profit.