Labor Day: More than an Extra Holiday, But a Reminder of the Struggles in the Workplace
September 1, 2015 | 
Marketplace Matters
Today, Labor Day may just be an extra holiday for many Americans, or the end of summer for others, but savvy business leaders are addressing the changing needs of laborers in the workforce year-round with the use of Marketplace Chaplains, America’s largest and original workplace chaplaincy organization.
“A lot of times, with an Employee Assistance Program, an issue or problem has already turned into a crisis. However, I consider this (Marketplace Chaplains) as part of preventative maintenance,” said David Nelson, Production Manager of Premier Silica of Bakersfield, California.
“The workplace is constantly changing and evolving, and Marketplace Chaplains has been a real asset to our company, our employees and their family members,” added Steve Luse, CEO of Luse Industries located outside of Chicago, Illinois.
Labor Day was founded more than 100 years ago in the Northeast as a salute to the growing organized labor movement. This movement began at the end of the 19th century and rescued American workers from an industrial manufacturing system that was cruel, exploitative, deadly, and often feudal… Over the century, the labor movement has produced many heroes who personify what Labor Day commemorates, and the many battles they won– against child labor, for fair wages and reasonable work hours, and for employee benefits and concern for employee safety…1
By the 1950s, more than 40% of the American workforce belonged to an organized labor union. Today that number is down to 10% percent of the working population. According to a recent survey by BizShifts-Trends, 59% of Americans see Labor Day as the end of summer and 39% see it as just another long weekend.1
The changes the labor movement helped to initiate are still in place today, and ever evolving as industries change and more and more companies are seeking additional ways to care for the total well-being of their employees.
With the increased stress and uncertainty in today’s workplace, dozens of new companies have retained the services of Marketplace Chaplains in 2015. So many in fact, this year ranks highest in client start-ups in any one year to-date in the organizations 31-year history.
What started with one chaplain in one company, at one location, now has over 2,300 chaplains serving in 3,605 service locations in 45 states, 9 provinces, 6 international countries, and 1,081 cities.
Marketplace Chaplains are in the workplace on a daily, weekly or bi-weekly basis, depending on the size of the company, helping employees deal with life’s stressors, whether they work on the factory floor or in the corner office.
“In today’s busy and hectic workplace, every day may seem like a “Laborious” Day to employees. However, forward-thinking business leaders are taking additional strides to show they care for their top-line, their employees and their families, in addition to their bottom-line,” said Marketplace Chaplains’ Founder Gil A. Stricklin
Currently, Marketplace Chaplains serves in 35 different industry types from family-owned companies to Fortune 500, serving more than half a million people across the globe.
“We consider Marketplace Chaplains a key part of our employee team, both as a resource and a friend,” said Steve Kerns, Founder & CEO of client company Insurmark, Inc. in Houston.
For more information on this unique employee benefit which has been featured with Marketplace Chaplains on CNN, NBC Nightly News, and in the Washington Post, the New York Times and Bloomberg BusinessWeek, visit https://mchapusa.com.
To arrange an interview with a Marketplace Chaplain contact Art Stricklin, Vice President Public Relations, at artstricklin@mchapusa.com or call 1-800-775-7657.
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