In case you weren't aware, yesterday in the United States we celebrated "Labor Day". Officially, Labor Day is a national holiday meant to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the American worker. Unofficially, it is mostly seen as the end of summer and a an excuse to take one last vacation or hold one last BBQ in your neighborhood before the weather starts to turn.
It's safe to say I have a love/hate relationship with labor unions. As the son and son-in-law of retired autoworkers, I fully appreciate the gains unions have made for us in making sure our workplaces are safer and more fair. On the other hand, now as a member of management, I see how unions protect and encourage workers with poor performance that are detrimental to the organization.
As the United Auto Workers currently threaten a strike against the "Big Three", I've seen several interviews where union members talk about all the good things that unions have done for us. Oddly enough, they always seem to point to the same three or four things... 40 hour work week, Five day work week, etc. Things that have been in place for decades.
So my question is, what have the Unions done lately?
Feel free to answer in the comments if you want. It was actually more of a rhetorical question because the truth is, that isn't really what this post is about.
It's Tuesday in my neck of the woods, and that means it is time to celebrate #threetunetuesday sponsored by 
If you haven't guessed, the theme for this week is "work" in celebration of Labor Day and thus the reason for my long winded intro.
So here we go!
Of course I would have to start off with this classic from Johnny Paycheck. It's interesting how country music has such strong ties to the world of the working man. If I had to guess, there are probably more country songs about working than any other genre. Don't worry though, this isn't post isn't going to be all country. I have some other gems tucked away to share with you!
While this song is more about the fact that his woman left him than the actual job that he is doing, many people cling to this song as the ultimate screw you to that boss, manager, or company that they have can't stand but have been busting their backs for.
It falls in the category of things you wish you could say at work but never do. The fact is, if you have a decent job these days, you probably don't want to go rocking the boat, because you likely aren't going to find something else in the same vein that will pay you as much.
At least that's how it is for many people I know.
I suspect is depends on the kind of job you are looking for.
I was hoping they would have a cooler video for this song, but sadly they do not. I remember when "Unemployed Boyfriend" came out by Everclear. I hadn't really been following Everclear too much past "Santa Monica" and some of the other songs they had on the radio. I really like the lead singers voice though, so when Songs From an American Movie Volume 1 came out, I decided to snatch it up sight unseen (or rather sound unheard).
Wonderful ended up becoming a big hit off that album, but for me, Unemployed Boyfriend was always my favorite song. It actually has several gems on it like "Otis Redding", "Learning How to Smile", and "Now That It's Over" along with a great cover of Brown Eyed Girl, but Unemployed Boyfriend always stands above the rest as my favorite.
It tells an interesting story of a chance encounter in a social work office and how it all goes down. It's a pretty cool story if you can follow along.
I remember I eventually purchased Songs from an American Movie Volume 2 when it came out, but that album didn't hit the same as Volume 1. If you decided to explore the full feature, don't say I didn't warn you.
It was actually a really tough call to go with this song or "Working for a Living" by Huey Lewis and the News. Ultimately, I had to go with Bachman Turner Overdive (or BTO for short) for my third song.
If you have been to wedding reception in the United States, there is a really good chance you have heard this song. It seems to be a crowd favorite that the DJ always ends up playing. I think a good part of that has to do with the fact that there is a little dance that goes with it.
I think it is called the alligator dance and it is actually pretty simple. 
If you are curious, just head over to Youtube and look up "Taking Care of Business Dance" and you should find plenty of examples of it.
Finally, as a bonus track for you, I am heading back to the country side of things because quite honestly, everyone needs a little Dolly in their day. That's right, how could I do a post about work and not include "9 to 5" from Dolly Parton.
Truth be told, my day looks a bit more like 6:30 to 3:30 (on a good day), there are often days that I am here until 7:30 or 8:30 at night. The joys of being a salary worker right?
I've actually never seen the movie that this song is from, but I could probably tell you all the words to the song I have heard it so many times. It's one of the many hits that Dolly has written and/or sang.
That's all I have for today. I'm actually going to get around and post this because believe it or not, I have to get to work!
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All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or