Labor Day, 2009

On a day normally set aside for picnics, marches and parades to honor America's workers, many Angelenos will spend their day either looking for jobs or worrying about keeping the ones they have.
Daily News.
The economic downturn has pushed Los Angeles County's jobless rate to nearly 12 percent - and the tough jobs outlook is expected to continue in 2010.

It is a challenging time for all workers, even those in the formal labor movement. Following a year of massive job losses and steep cuts in pay and benefits for non-union workers, public sector unions - which in comparison have escaped much of the pain - have lost a great deal of sympathy from the general public and politicians.