Strangechord

Happy Labor Day all employees out there! I feel strongly about celebrating this day; today is a commemoration of the strife and courage of workers in this country (mainly through unions) to establish rights for all workers. Just like Veterans Day honors not only those currently serving in the armed forces, but also the veterans of past wars, Labor Day pays respect not only to today’s workers, but gives a mighty nod to the workers of the past who secured the workplace conditions we take for granted now. Conditions such as the eight hour workday, no child labor, overtime pay, etc.

The following was taken from “The Real Meaning of the Labor Day Holiday” by John Shepler:

In the spring of 1872, Peter McGuire, who had started his work life at age 11 to support his mother and six sisters while his father fought in the Civil War, joined 100,000 fellow workers to march the streets of New York in demand of better working conditions. It was an event that inspired him to devote himself to organizing others into effective trade unions. As the clout of these large organizations began to have positive results for the workers, Peter and some colleagues promoted the idea of a holiday in honor of the working people. It would fall halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving, in the first week of September, and be known as Labor Day.