White Worker/ Blue Mood

“It’s us they is always chokin’ so that the rich folks can stay fat.” —A 28-year-old Kentucky miner on the “freeze.” New York Times, September 24, 1971

What are the facts about the American workers—especially white workers? Of the 77.902 million gainfully employed in 1969, 28.237 million wore blue collars; that is, 36 percent. But others might as well have worn that collar. Of the 36.844 million “white-collar” workers, about 18 million were in clerical and sales—an added 22 percent of the employed. In addition, there were another 9.528 million engaged in service trades—a category that earned less than the blue-collar, clerical, or sales people. The total in all these...