Labor Lessons: Bridging the Gap Between School and the Real World for Future Workers
As each of my children prepared to graduate high school, I asked them about what they had learned in school that would prepare them for the “real world.” Specifically, whether they learned anything about labor history or being a worker in the United States. I wasn’t surprised by their answers, but it was still disappointing. This lack of education on workers' rights – for kids who will most likely become workers themselves – led me to do some research.
Over 200 years ago, education was primarily for the wealthy. With the industrial revolution came the need for what we now know as public schooling.
Why was there a need? Factory owners (today's corporate C-suite folks) needed obedient workers who would show up daily, on time, and follow orders. The best way to achieve that? Create a system where young children sit in a classroom all day with a teacher in charge. This indoctrination produces workers accustomed to compliance and routine.
Understanding this, it makes sense why labor history isn’t taught in public schools. Empowering people, especially young ones, with information to make informed decisions about their lives would be detrimental to company owners who rely on a compliant workforce. If kids learn their workplace rights and how organizing can give them more power, they might think they have a say in the companies they work for.
We often talk about apprenticeships in the trades – a hands-on learning approach that suits many people better than traditional lecture based academia. Industrialized education isn’t intended to teach thought and innovation though. Northwestern University economist Joel Mokyr explains:
“Much of this education was not technical but social and moral. Workers who had always worked in a domestic setting had to be taught to follow orders, respect others’ space and property, be punctual, docile, and sober. Early industrial capitalists spent a great deal of effort on the social conditioning of their labor force, especially in Sunday schools designed to inculcate middle-class values and attitudes, making workers more susceptible to factory incentives.”
For many younger workers (25 or younger), the idea of being a "company man" is outdated. They don’t expect to retire from the same company they start with after high school or college. Their priorities are different, and they will likely work for multiple companies throughout their working career, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to know their rights at work.
We must do better at teaching America’s labor history to our children. Someone recently told me, “Nichole, unions were good for workers when we didn’t have all these laws to protect us. Now, we just don’t need them.” Unfortunately, the blood, sweat, and tears (and sometimes lives) it took to get those laws passed don’t compare to how easily a stroke of a pen can take them away. We aren’t guaranteed any rights, even with legislation, because the law is a living being that changes and adapts with whoever holds power.
What Can You Do?
Advocate for Curriculum Changes: Push for the inclusion of labor history in school curriculums. Attend school board meetings, write letters, and collaborate with educators to highlight the importance of this education.
Volunteer in Schools: Offer to speak at local schools about the history and importance of unions and apprenticeships. Personal stories and real-world examples can make a significant impact.
Talk to your Kids: Talk to your own kids, their friends, their teammates. Let them know that they have rights as workers. And, at the same time, you can promote apprenticeships – especially for those kids who might thrive better with hands on learning.
By taking these steps, union workers can help ensure that future generations understand the importance of labor history and workers' rights, empowering them to make informed decisions and continue the fight for fair treatment in the workplace.
If you want to learn more, here are a few suggestions:
Schrager, A. (2018, June 29). The modern education system was designed to train future factory workers to be "docile". Quartz. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://qz.com/1314814/universal-education-was-first-promoted-by-industrialists-who-wanted-docile-factory-workers/
Written by Nichole Reedy, Sr. Assistant Business Manager
