The History of the Labor Day Holiday

Since Labor Day is right around the corner I thought I would do a brief expose on the history of the holiday so that we don't forget what it is all about. Most of the children in this country think Labor Day is nothing more than another day to swim, take in a movie, or go shopping: they don't have a clue that the day actually has some significance.

The Labor Day holiday is on the first Monday of every September and celebrates the contributions made by the workers of this country, which have made America the most prosporous country on Earth. The first Labor Day holiday actually took place on Tuesday September 5, 1882 in New York City and is commonly thought to be the invention of Peter J. McGuire who was general secretary of the "Brotherhood of Carpenters" (how appropriate that an Irish carpenter designated the holiday). McGuire also went on to become co-founder of the American Federation of Labor.

Government legislation followed in 1885 and 1886. The first legislation was introduced in New York City, but oddly enough, the first state to officially recognize the holiday was Oregon in 1887. Oregon was followed by New York State, Colorado, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Soon Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania followed suit. 23 other states joined in that same year and by1894 Congress passed a bill making Labor Day a national holiday.

The Labor Days of the past have been celebrated by parades and speeches by prominent politicians, industrialists, and leading labor union officials who have touted the American worker as an icon. This seems to have been all forgotten. Now Labor Day is nothing more than a day to barbeque and play golf.

Labor unions in this country have taken a bad rap and in some cases they have overstepped their boundaries and deserve it; but let's not forget without the labor unions, no one would have any holidays, paid vacations, health care, or protections against abuse. The early industrialists of this country worked people like animals and without the unions you would still be working like an animal right now. I will never forget reading Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle, which graphically described the horrendous conditions in the Chicago meat packing houses at the turn of the century. This book is a must read for anyone that does understand the significance of the unions and I would suggest that we all read it in order to remember what Labor Day is all about.

Enjoy the holiday and be safe.