This week, the U S West strike came to a successful conclusion for all concerned.

The union held out for limits on mandatory overtime, a new health plan, a 10.9 percent salary increase, an improved pension plan and a voluntary “pay for performance” plan.

Many people across the country were upset by the delays caused by this strike.

Iowa State was not immune from the effects of the walkout either.

Many students were without phone service for over a week.

As far removed as many of us are from the blue-collar lifestyle while attending college, it is important for all of us to remember the advances made by those who came before us.

In many industries, from coal mining to meat packing, from textiles to automobile manufacturing, our forebears have given their own personal freedoms —and in many cases, their lives — to ensure that all Americans benefit from their efforts.

Many of us wouldn’t have made it past our 12th birthday because child labor would still be the norm.

The 40-hour work week would be nothing more than left-wing lunacy.

Weekends off? Not with work to be done.

Retirement would be an impossibility for all but the independently wealthy and those crippled by industrial accidents with families to take care of them.

Health benefits would be the stuff of fantasy. Who needs healthy employees? If someone gets sick or injured, just get another one.

When the labor movement began in this country, there was little to stop wealthy employers from hiring private police forces and detectives to break unions by any means necessary.

Killing striking employees was not only common place, it was considered necessary to maintain the natural order and guarantee that the industrial revolution moved forward unhindered.

If it were not for all the hard won victories of labor unions, many of us would not be able to attend college while slaving away in a coal mine somewhere for five dollars a day while developing black lung.

If the worst we ever have to suffer for our basic human dignity are brief inconveniences and minor interruptions to our comfortable lifestyles, then we should accept that willingly and be grateful.