Sunday, May 1, 2022

May Day, and other things too

 Happy May day!




And while we're frolicking, here in coats and gloves, let's remember it's also the Feast of St. Joseph the worker, celebrating the trades and all other workers. 

And remember the personal cost to the pickers of our food



Each bin holds about half a ton. They split $30 payment. For hand picking half a ton of fruit. 

When we complain about the price of food, we remember what the workers earn.  Machines can't pick citrus and stone fruit without damaging it.  Owners and middlemen take a much bigger cut of the eventual retail price. United Farm Workers Union working to protect their workers.

Spoken as the proud daughter and mother of union members, as well as a past personal member.

Currently registering support of Jorts the Cat, and his symbolism in the current resurgence of the trade union movement. You don't know Jorts? He has a Wikipedia entry. Check him out!  It's his birthday.

Meanwhile closer to home, my frugal heart was happy to score a patio chair at the dumpster, thus continuing a long personal tradition of never buying outdoor furniture. 

Perfectly good pieces to be found at the beginning of the season. Sometimes I swap out current found pieces for new finds.  I currently have three chairs, one a poolside lounger and the two you see here. All found at dumpsters. I'm still using a crate for a side table, until I find a good replacement.

All we need now is warmer weather.

Happy day everyone! 

And look for the union label!

17 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday, Jorts! Thanks for introducing me to Jorts (and Jean). I had not heard of these new comrades before!

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  2. Americans rely on the seasonal workforce to do the jobs farmers can't get Americans to do and at the same time scream about the undocumented workers taking jobs from citizens. It's ridiculous.

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  3. Nice score on the chair.
    Happy May Day!

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  4. If only the current prices had anything to do with the seasonal workers getting more!

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  5. Happy May Day! Tomorrow is a holiday here. Love your new chair.

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  6. Excellent find on the chair! As you know, I am a firm believer in found objects!

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  7. I also grew up in a union family, my father was a railroad engineer. I also love to find bargains, the things that are perfectly fine but the people have moved onto something newer and shinier. I need a different grill so I will start looking. Facebook Marketplace was a great resource but they've screwed that up.

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  8. It is frustrating that those that work the hardest, get the least pay. They need to send the prez of Sunkist or Del Monte out to do some of that work for the same pay.

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  9. Steve, yes, I thought you'd approve of my policy. My house is largely furnished with nice dumpster finds.

    About big ag: I try hard to do my bit, buying from Misfits which deals with many small organic growers who owe nothing to Monsanto, and from the local family farm. That's about all I can do as far as I know.

    That and speak out against predators in big ag and retail.

    Including union busters such as Amazon, which I don't order from any more, and Starbucks, which I never did go into because of their savage attacks on the livelihood of small coffee growers. I love coffee but I couldn't choke down anything from there.

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  10. If only we all supported unions and got a lot of what we needed by finding what others have discarded it would be a better world. You know me and my dump finds. Some of them have been amazing.

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  11. Yes, Mary and your great thriftie finds!

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  12. Thank you for the introduction to Jorts and Jean. The Wikipedia description of Office Events was quite an interesting read. I love the chair, great find!

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  13. It will be a tragedy for working people if trade unions don't remain strong.

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  14. We need more unions, not fewer. There are some hopeful signs.

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  15. White rabbits and happy May Day! We too support small farmers and farm workers, and couldn't agree more with Ellen Abbott and Marie Smith (above).

    Chris from Boise

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  16. Ditto to Ellen's comment above because it's the same here in Canada. Oddly, our local farmers market (which we would love to support) often charges prices nearly double what you pay in the grocery store. I wouldn't mind that if we weren't living on a small fixed income so we have to watch what we spend. Last year they had carrots, maybe 5 to a bunch, and were charging twice the amount that would buy a big bag of carrots in our grocery store. It's one thing to wrestle with your conscience and try to do what's best but on the other hand it has to come down to the almighty dollar.

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