--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be free, the workers must have choice…" description: "\"To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will wor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/samuel-gompers-16712_choice_to-be-free-the-workers-must-have-choice_325581.jpg" --- # To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice… ![“To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.” quote by Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/samuel-gompers-16712_choice_to-be-free-the-workers-must-have-choice_325581.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/samuel-gompers-16712_choice_to-be-free-the-workers-must-have-choice_325581.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/samuel-gompers-16712_choice_to-be-free-the-workers-must-have-choice_325581.jpg) > “To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.” [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Workers need autonomy over their work conditions; freedom comes from having real choices about how and when they labor. **In simple terms:** Freedom requires workers to control their own work conditions. Key Takeaway Empower workers to decide their work terms. Themes labor rights freedom choice autonomy Mood determined optimistic Type political motivational When to use this quote - union negotiations - contract drafting - policy advocacy - workplace design Key Concepts self‑determination industrial democracy Questions to Reflect On - How can workers secure genuine choice in precarious jobs? - What structures protect that autonomy? A Different Perspective May ignore economic constraints that limit true choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [As Americans, we can choose where we work and live, what we drive, which insurance plan is best for us, so why can we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doolittle/as-americans-we-can-choose-where-we-work-and-live-what-we-drive-which/) [John Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doolittle/) > [We may not be able to make working at the airport stress-free, but we can at least give these workers the security of knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-james/we-may-not-be-able-to-make-working-at-the-airport-stress-free-but-we/) [Letitia James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-james/) > [It will level the playing field, ... It will give American workers choice, confidence and also control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-chao/it-will-level-the-playing-field-it-will-give-american-workers-choice/) [Elaine Chao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-chao/) > [The IRS says it wants to make sure companies can give their employees a choice between a new cash balance plan and the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-irs-says-it-wants-to-make-sure-companies-can-give-their-employees/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Right to Work laws give workers a choice. Choice creates competition and competition breeds success. 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If she doesn't try, she can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/she-cried-no-choice-no-choice-she-doesn-t-know-if-she-doesn-t-speak/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“There is always a choice to be had, you even have the choice to choose it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-besecker/there-is-always-a-choice-to-be-had-you-even-have-the-choice-to-choose/) Travis Besecker > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More by Samuel Gompers > [What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/what-does-labor-want-we-want-more-schoolhouses-and-less-jails-more/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [There is not a right too long denied to which we do not aspire in order to achieve; there is not a wrong too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/there-is-not-a-right-too-long-denied-to-which-we-do-not-aspire-in/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Our mission has been the protection of the wage-worker, now; to increase his wages; to cut hours off the long workday, which was killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/our-mission-has-been-the-protection-of-the-wage-worker-now-to/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [There may be here and there a worker who for certain reasons unexplainable to us does not join a union of labor. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/there-may-be-here-and-there-a-worker-who-for-certain-reasons/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/time-is-the-most-valuable-thing-on-earth-time-to-think-time-to-act/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [No lasting gain has ever come from compulsion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/no-lasting-gain-has-ever-come-from-compulsion/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [“Great minds like a think -The Economist-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/great-minds-like-a-think-the-economist/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [So long as we have held fast to voluntary principles and have been actuated and inspired by the spirit of service, we have sustained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/so-long-as-we-have-held-fast-to-voluntary-principles-and-have-been/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/all-other-holidays-are-in-a-more-or-less-degree-connected-with/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Our movement is of the working people, for the working people, by the working people. . . . There is not a right too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/our-movement-is-of-the-working-people-for-the-working-people-by-the/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [The periods of unemployment accompanying depression in the business cycle . . . present a challenge to all our claims to progress, humanity, and civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/the-periods-of-unemployment-accompanying-depression-in-the-business/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/what-does-labor-want-we-want-more-schoolhouses-and-less-jails-more-2/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [One fact stands out in bold relief in the history of man's attempts for betterment. That is that when compulsion is used, only resentment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/one-fact-stands-out-in-bold-relief-in-the-history-of-man-s-attempts/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [The labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/the-labor-of-a-human-being-is-not-a-commodity-or-article-of-commerce/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Where trade unions are most firmly organized, there are the rights of the people most respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/where-trade-unions-are-most-firmly-organized-there-are-the-rights-of/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) [Explore all 39 Samuel Gompers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! 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That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be free, the workers must have choice. 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