And rather than confronting these realities, many – particularly on the right – turned to union bashing and restricting labor rights that rendered people powerless to address inequities.
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According to the United States Department of Labor, the first Monday in September is set aside as a day to remember the creation of the labor movement – the forming of unions meant to protect the common worker – and recognize the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.
And yet, this Labor Day, we should not succumb to pessimism or simply look back with nostalgia at what unions and worker organizers have accomplished in the past.
In 1916, the 8 hour work day was established by the Adamson Act.
The country’s first labor unions were born from the dismal conditions, and strikes and protests, some which turned violent. But does anyone really know why we have this holiday? There are two different beliefs on who actually founded Labor Day. They see labor unions playing a crucial role in raising living standards not just for themselves and their generation, but for all working people.
In the late 1800s, the state of labor was grim as US workers toiled under bleak conditions: 12 or more hour workdays; hazardous work environments; meager pay.
“Christmas and Thanksgiving are kind of commercialized”, he said Saturday as an exuberant Jackson bounced up and down on the sidewalk outside the White House, waiting for the chance to see the “gigantic” dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. The incident also led to May 1 being celebrated in most nations as Workers Day.
There is much that can and should be done to prepare all of us for the future, beginning with an honest discussion about the changes workers are going to face – prepared or not – in the coming years.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 14.6 million union members in the work force in 2014. And New York still claims the highest share of union workers in the nation. It is up to each state to declare its own legal holidays. This happened in the year 1887.
NY may have been first, but in 1887 OR was the first state to make Labor Day an official holiday. It was signed by President Grover Cleveland and it became law. There would be a street parade to show to the public ‘the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.’ That would be followed by a festival for the workers and their families. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. We honor workers and their contributions on this day with awards and prizes being given.
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“This Labor Day, as we recognize all the good that the labor movement and American workers have done for this country, we must also acknowledge work yet to be done”. And now we are seeing more vulnerable workers – such as adjunct faculty and graduate students, teachers at charter schools and early childhood educators-seeking to join our ranks. Then go to a barbecue, like the original participants did over a century ago, and celebrate having at least one day off from work during the year.
