Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Many people in America celebrate Labor Day. It's been a federal holiday for nearly 130 years and celebrates the social and economic achievements of workers. Teachers are among those who get the day off, which makes Labor Day the first holiday of the school year for most students as well.
Labor Day was first celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882. In New York City on this date, a parade was held that swelled to include as many as 20,000 marchers! The New York Tribune reported that “The windows and roofs and even the lamp posts and awning frames were occupied by persons anxious to get a good view of the first parade in New York of workingmen of all trades united in one organization.” Another newspaper account described the parade as including “...men on horseback, men wearing regalia, men with society aprons, and men with flags, musical instruments, badges, and all the other paraphernalia of a procession." The day ended in a park, where more than 25,000 people gathered to picnic and hear speeches. It became a tradition for the first Monday in September. Five years later, Oregon was the first state to make it a legal holiday in 1887, and other states followed their lead. In 1894, President Grover Cleveland made it a federal holiday.
Labor day was established as a “workingman's holiday” at a time when many workers endured harsh conditions on the job. During the late 1800s in America, industrial jobs were becoming more prevalent than agricultural work. People who toiled in factories, mills and mines often worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Many of these workers were children as young as five or six years old who earned much less pay than adults doing the same jobs. Such workplace conditions caused labor activists to organize unions to protest unsafe working situations and negotiate for reasonable hours and fairer wages.
Over the past 130 years, labor leaders have advocated for and obtained eight-hour workdays, equitable pay, higher pay, sanitary facilities, breaks in the workday, safety regulations and other improvements. Sometimes employees “strike,” or organize an intentional stoppage or slowdown of work, to convince their employer to address their demands. A Labor Hall of Honor posted on the U.S. Department of Labor's website tells the stories of many of the men and women whose efforts have improved the quality of life for America's working families. It recognizes contributions of more than 50 individuals as well as many groups, such as the 9/11 Rescue Workers, Pioneers of the Farm Workers Union, The Chinese Railroad Workers and the Essential Workers of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Labor Day continues to be an annual celebration that pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of many types of workers in communities across our country. Likewise, labor activists continue to have a role in our society as the world of work evolves and new challenges emerge. Like the first Labor Day, the holiday still often features parades, picnics and speeches. Labor Day for 2023 falls on Monday, Sept. 4. Whether marking the day this year with a barbecue, party at the beach, shopping the Labor Day sales, attending a community celebration or just relaxing at home, take time to acknowledge the roots of Labor Day and its continued significance today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.