Those lucky to be working should truly appreciate Labor Day. The debt of workers in America to individual labor advocates is immeasurable. If you have weekends off, overtime pay, vacations, sick days, at least minimum wage, health insurance, pension and workplace safety you owe a debt to many unknowns.

The unsung working class heroes are the ones to thank. They do their work without asking for or expecting anyone to notice or thank them.
This past month saw the end of two special lives that so many owe so much to. It’s sad their passing goes so unheralded.

Postal worker, Wayne Russell Poland died last month; he stood up for workers all his life. He was involved in so many labor actions (along with his wife, Doris) there is no room to list them. There was no picket line he didn’t walk or worker’s rights issue he didn’t champion. He was a gentle giant in the labor movement. Workers who never heard of him owe him so much and don’t even know it.

The same goes for Teamster George “Buddy” Oviatt. Buddy took an 18-month strike and never wavered, fighting to maintain hard won rights and benefits. Like Wayne, Buddy was not afraid to take on his union’s leadership when he felt that his brothers and sisters were being misled or ignored.

It took death to silence their voices. Their lives are the maxim of: “Never have so many owed so much to so few.”

Robert L. Piccone
President Emeritus Teamsters Local Union #340
Portland