“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128: 1-2 (NIV)

The September 3, 2012, Labor Day holiday will be celebrated by families around the country with picnics, barbecues, and road trips. In this election year politicians will appear at the rallies. Working families in hundreds of towns and cities will honor workers and the work they do. Many national and local unions will be celebrating the holiday in marches and parades with political candidates attending to garner votes.

Due to the fiscal distress of municipalitie and politics, many areas of the country have seen challenges and changes to the public employment workplace culture and unions. Many of the affairs of municipalities in fiscal distress have endured governing authorities appointing emergency managers who union leaders consider anti-worker and anti union contracts because emergency managers can change or suspend contracts and privatize work that union laborers once performed. Repealing the emergency manager law in Michigan is a high priority for labor unions.

In remembering those who work for the good of their families, the community and our nation we can offer prayers for them. In this changing workplace culture we need to pray for laborers in both private and public sectors. Pray:

1. That God will reveal the dignity and honor of work with excellence for a fair return and reasonable benefits.
2. That workplaces would be a setting of safety and a place where workers will be treated with justice, respect and dignity.
3. That workers will be treated fairly and work will not be privatized at rates that are higher than the what laborers were paid for.
4. For continued employment in the changing global economy.
5. That laborers would pray in the workplace where permissible.
6. Pray for wise and fair supervisors and managers.
7. Pray for political leaders to be men and women of integrity, honor and wisdom that make sound decisions that follow God’s standards for the work place in the public sector.
c September 3, 2012