On this Labor Day, even the experts can’t agree on whether it’s been a good year for workers. Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research says those who toil in workplaces and factories got the raw end of the economic deal again this year. Average real wages fell, he reports, and tens of thousands of workers were illegally fired for union-organizing activities.

On the contrary, says University of Michigan-Flint economist Mark Perry, workers have much to celebrate this year. The unemployment rate has declined in all but one state, he reports, and American workers out-produced their counterparts in other countries. (If you wish to read more of their analysis, go to www. spokesmanreview.com and click on syndicated columnists.)

Individuals tend to judge the vitality of the national job situation on whether they have a well-paying job. Or they judge it on how many people they personally know who are unemployed.

The family and friends of the 174 workers who lost their jobs at Sacred Heart Medical Center jobs recently probably don’t feel optimistic this Labor Day, likewise the 18 Spokane City Hall employees facing unemployment. They are learning firsthand that our region’s touted quality of life can quickly sour if you lose the well-paying job that allowed you to enjoy that life in the first place.

Workers often feel powerless to change the economic situation for the better, especially in this global economy when U.S. jobs sometimes seem to flee our borders faster than you can say severance pay.

However, the personal can be transformed into the political, especially this election year. Most voters supposedly know the man they favor for president. That can be the easy choice. Not so easy are the congressional, statewide, regional and local political races. If the job situation here is important to you, it can provide a decisive issue on which to hang your vote in the elections that will hit closest to home.

Job growth is a hot issue in the Inland Northwest as the region continues its slow and uncertain transition from old economy jobs — timber, mining, manufacturing — to new economy jobs — health care, education, tourism and high tech.

Most of the political candidates for office this year have Web sites where they list their stands on the issues, including how to increase jobs in the Inland Northwest. They also speak to the employment issue at candidate forums.

In the Aug. 22 Spokesman-Review, for instance, candidates for the U.S. House, 5th District, outlined what they believe Congress can do. Their ideas ranged from closing loopholes that reward companies who outsource business tasks to amending the Endangered Species Act to make it easier to develop private and public land.

If you attend a Labor Day picnic or event, chances are good you’ll run into some hand-shaking candidates. Don’t be shy about asking whether they can help guarantee that Labor Days of the future will give workers something to really celebrate.