While Memorial Day often serves as the kick-off to summer, Labor Day has long symbolized the season's end. This federal holiday always falls on the first Monday in September. For many, Labor Day means a long weekend and perhaps a chance for a beach day or backyard barbecue party. However, the holiday was created to celebrate American workers' social and economic achievements.
Labor Day has officially been a national holiday in the United States since 1894 but was celebrated for some time before that. The first Labor Day observance was in New York City on September 5, 1882, when 10,000 workers took unpaid leave and marched through the streets to demonstrate the strength of the trade and labor organizations. The event, which union leaders put on, also included speeches, picnics, fireworks, and amusement. Labor Day soon became a tradition in the city and quickly spread to other parts of the country.
These nationwide Labor Day celebrations were a part of the larger labor movement in post-Civil War America. At the time, working conditions were grim—with excessively long days, unsafe workplaces, and the use of child labor. Labor activists fought for improvements in these areas but also wanted a federal holiday to recognize workers.
There was some disagreement among labor union leaders about when this holiday should be celebrated. Some advocated to keep the September date, while others favored May 1st to commemorate the deadly Haymarket Affair, which occurred May 4, 1886, in Chicago. The political establishment was wary of the May date since it was being organized by socialist and communist parties and gaining prominence worldwide. As such, conservative President Grover Cleveland publicly supported the less radically-affiliated September date. (International Workers' Day or "May Day" is still celebrated worldwide but has never had mainstream popularity in America.)
On June 28, 1894, President Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September a national holiday. However, this law only made Labor Day a holiday for federal workers. Unions continued to fight for an official holiday for all workers for many decades to come. Today, Labor Day is a statutory holiday in all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and all U.S. territories.
As labor unions have declined in America, so has their association with the Labor Day holiday. Parades and other traditional festivities to honor workers are less prominent, and the long weekend has come to represent the unofficial end of summer and the start of school and fall sports. However, it is essential to reflect on the long history of U.S. workers and those who fought for 8-hour work days, weekends, and workplace safety measures. If you are lucky enough to enjoy a long Labor Day weekend this year, take a moment to think about those who have contributed so significantly to this country's economic strength—the American worker.
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