Why Do We Celebrate Labor Day?

Most of us today think of Labor Day as the last long weekend of summer. Labor Day signifies the end of summer and the beginning of fall. We are told not to wear white after Labor Day, while school kids know that they now have to think seriously about getting homework done. Labor Day, however, it really a celebration of the American worker. In this age of big business and economic turmoil, it behooves us all to remember the workers who helped to make this country great.

The first Labor Day celebration was held on a Tuesday in New York City on September 5, 1882. While some may argue that Peter J. McGuire, secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and later co-founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), most now generally agree that Matthew Maguire was actually the person to promote a annual celebration of labor. (Maguire was a machinist and later secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Patterson, New Jersey.) It was the Central Labor Union that planned and celebrated the first Labor Day. This was followed the very next year, once again on September 5, by the second Labor Day holiday. The union prompted other industrial-centric cities to join them each year in acknowledging the workingman and their contributions to their communities and the economy. Various municipalities began to officially recognized the Labor Day holiday followed by several states until eventually Congress pass legislation on June 28, 1894, designating the first Monday in September as an official holiday; i.e., Labor Day.

In the early days, Labor Day parades were the norm, celebrating the importance of the American worker. Workers and their families then enjoyed festivals. Today, Labor Day is more often thought of as a long weekend, with Labor Day being just another paid holiday. Most of us in America tend to forget just how important the American worker is to the economy of the country. In light of the bank bailouts, as well as the decline of the Big Three Automakers, our focus is on Wall Street and on big business. Neither of the entities would exist, however, if it was not for the American labor force. We will once again feel the loss when the American worker is no longer able to work as the effects of the BP Oil Spill began to be felt throughout the country in such ways as higher prices for shrimp (if it is even available) due to Gulf Coast shrimpers being unable to fish for shrimp. And that is just one example.

This Labor Day would be a good time to really remember why we celebrate the day. It would be a good time to remember that many large corporations have built their fortunes on the backs of the American worker. The United States Department of Labor notes that "[Labor Day] is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country

This Labor Day would be a good time to honor the reason this day was established -- the American worker.

Perhaps we could throw a parade.

References:

AFL-CIO. Labor Day FAQs.

United States Department of Labor. The History of Labor Day.