Yesterday was May Day, a holiday that celebrates, among other things, the dignity of labor. Unions, labor groups, political parties and movements that emphasize labor are primary celebrants. From early on in the holiday’s history May Day has frequently been punctuated by large gatherings. For instance, yesterday, dock workers all up and down the West Coast stayed at home or marched instead of working the day shift. They both celebrated labor and criticized the Iraq War, including the latter due to a belief that it is a disproportionate burden to working class families.Early in the labor movement the emphasis was on physical labor and the people who did it. But the movement has expanded to include so-called intellectual property workers. The term’s arguably a bit misleading. As someone who has been both a truck driver and a marketing communications director, I can assure you, you can’t do the former without thinking and the latter without physical issues (such as repetitive stress).

One of our own, MarkDilley spent 15 years as a labor organizer before helping to shape AboutUs. The movement from one to the other was more natural than it may seem at first. Wiki’s self-organizing aspects fit well with the initial step in organizing (both labor and information), building lists. As any industry leader knows, having a list of people and businesses you can go to is invaluable, same within organized labor. So, take a minute, honor your own labor and that of others by adding to the list.