Summer’s finale weekend is upon us, and the beaches are flooded with traffic. Barbecue grills are stocked with charcoal and brews are chilling in the fridge. But Labor Day is more than a long weekend at the end of summer. As a country, it represents our recognition and appreciation to the American workers that have built this great nation.
Read the follow list of Labor Day facts and spread the word about what this American holiday means for you and your country!
1.) Labor Day is an old holiday…
The first Labor Day took place on September 5th, 1882. This first festival took place in New York City and was so well received, another parade was held the following year. As the nation witnessed more and more support for labor laws and worker appreciation, more industrialized cities began recognizing the holiday in the following years.
As states began to introduce legislation to make Labor Day an official holiday at the local level, the United States government began discussing the matter as well. In 1894, the national government passed legislation making Labor Day federally recognized holiday and across all the states.
2.) Labor Day was founded by…
The founding father of Labor Day draws some dispute amongst some historians. However, most concede that the debate boils down to two names; Peter J. Maguire and Mathew Maguire. Despite the confusion on this matter, both men represented local unions and held leadership positions in their respective halls making the birth of this holiday essential to the American labor movement’s history.
3.) The first Labor Day was quite the party…
With so many years passed since September 5th, 1882 and the passing of legislation recognizing it as a national holiday, it’s hard to appreciate the precarious state of the first Labor Day. On the morning of September 5th, the streets of Manhattan were lined with eager spectators competing for spots to watch marchers in the first Labor Day parade.
However, as the hour drew near, the men showed no signs of starting their march. They lacked something essential to all great parades… Music. Just before all hope was lost, the parade heard the first sounds of their rallying tune. The Jewelers Union of Newark had assembled to meet the parade and by chance, brought with them a band to save the soul of the march.
With music blaring and the parade underway, the men walked through the streets as crowds vied for spots on the curb to see those passing by. As bodies hung out windows in the buildings, citizens lined the streets and the world witnessed the birth of one the country’s hallmark holidays.
4.) American Unions played an important role in the birth of Labor Day…
The world we live in today is far greater than that of industrialization era. Nowadays, workers do not have to join a union to earn representation that guarantees them a fair day’s wage in return for their valued labor.
With the first Labor Day being a celebration of local unions in New York City, it’s no wonder that worker’s unions played such a significant role in the founding of Labor Day. The promise that American workers represented towards the end of the twentieth century belongs to the sacrifices they made within their professions. At a time when worker’s rights were virtually unheard of, American laborers help transition the nation to an industrial power unlike any other in the world.
The unions that helped found Labor Day and establish rights for these workers helped balance the system at a time when safety and even work/life balance were far from consideration.
But we cannot appreciate where this great nation is today without saluting those before us that helped bring safety and labor issues into the country’s mission. For that, we say “thank you!”
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