Why Labor Day?

My daughter asked me yesterday, "Why do we have a Labor Day?" Embarrassed, I couldn't remember. Here is the answer I found and my take on the holiday. Above is a photo taken in 1909 at a Labor Day Parade in New York City. I had no idea women had their own trade union already by then.

In 1882 the founder of a carpenters union suggested to the Central Labor Union of New York City that there be some kind of celebration to honor America's labor workforce. As a result, on September 5^th of that year 10,000 workers held a parade in New York City. Two years later, in 1884, the parade sponsors decided to make it an annual event and designated the first Monday in September as the official Labor Day. The idea spread rapidly to other states until, in 1894, it became a national holiday. Incidentally, many other nations honor their workers, but they do so on May 1st.

How does this event fit into our nation's economic history? When the Industrial Revolution came in the late 1700s, it brought vast economic and social change. Manufacturing changed from a manual hands-on system to one machine-based (think the steam engine, the cotton gin, etc.).Within 100 years large factories and similar businesses had become the norm. Workers became wage-dependent. Business owners, some drunk with power and vast wealth, took advantage of their employees by paying poorly, prompting legislation that at first set the wages of employees and later protected them with various other quality-of-life benefits. Labor unions, by now well-organized, gained the right to strike. The founding of Labor Day came around this time.

By the 1950s labor unions had become very strong, and America's middle class had grown prosperous accordingly. But more recently, globalization of our world economy has shifted the balance scale once again. American businesses have had to downsize and outsource to meet competition. As workers have been dropped, company loyalty has fallen. Businesses need dedicated, dependable workers, if they are to produce a quality product efficiently. Workers need decent pay and protection from the harsh realities lay-offs, strikes, and firings bring, if they are to be compensated fairly. The challenge for our economic future, I believe, is to find kinder, more workable responses to today's pressures on our workforce. The government is trying to help, but businesses have the money and human resources to do the job better.

Looking for a better future for America's workers, and—oh, yes, thank you to our laborers on your day!

Margaret

References: Funk & Wagnall's Standard Reference Encyclopedia, Encyclopaedia Brittanica Online School Edition (including photo)