Dolly Parton, the brilliant Songwriter and beloved Country Singer who has died at age 80, wrote one of the great anthems of the American Working Class.

The title song from 9 to 5, the 1980 classic about battling gender inequity in the workplace that starred Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, spoke so much truth that it became a hit on the pop and country charts, gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and collected two Grammys.

Workers everywhere knew what Parton meant when she sang about “barely gettin’ by, it’s all takin’ and no givin,’” and complained, “They just use your mind and they never give you credit. It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it.”

That song appeared on a remarkable solo album by Parton, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, which also included songs such as “Working Girl” and “Poor Folks Town” by Parton, along with a poignant cover of “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” Woody Guthrie’s reflection on the racist treatment of Migrant Farm Workers.

The album’s title track warned: “It’s a rich man’s game no matter what they call it. And you spend your life puttin’ money in his wallet.”

It also reminded Working Women: “There’s a better life and you think about it, don’t you?”

From the National AFL-CIO: “Dolly Parton knew what it was like to struggle as she fought for Working Families her whole career. From providing free books to kids to giving Working Women our ‘9 to 5’ anthem, she was an icon and an inspiration. Rest in power to our Union Sister. We will always love you.”

Parton was, indeed, a Union Sister for the better part of 60 years - carrying the card of multiple Labor Organizations that celebrated the talent and humanity that earned the Country Singer, Actress and Philanthropist universal admiration.

“Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank You for the music and the solidarity,” declared the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), the AFL-CIO-Affiliated Labor Union that represents 70,000 Professional Singers and Players, including Parton.

The AFM recalled Parton whose “influence went far beyond the boundaries of country music, but she never lost track of who she was and her values.”

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Dolly Parton Was a Proud Union Sister - by Nation Magazine

Parton Photo Courtesy Of Her Facebook Page.