“Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late 19th century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being,” states www.dol.gov U.S. Department of Labor. Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states, before it became a federal holiday. A movement developed in order to secure state legislation after municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886. New York was the first state on the roster to introduce a bill, but on February 21st, 1887 Oregon was the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day. During 1887, four additional states passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday; Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. By the end of the decade, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. In 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28th, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
It is not entirely clear who first proposed the idea of a holiday for workers, but 2 workers can make a solid claim to The Founder of Labor Day Title. Some records indicate that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire- who was the general secretary of The Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of The American Federation of Labor, suggested “setting aside a day for a general holiday for the laboring classes to honor those who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
However, Peter J. McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many people believe that Matthew Maguire, who was a machinist, founded the holiday. “Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, who later became the secretary of Local 344 of The International Association of Machinists, in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882, while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.” After President Grover Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an article stating that, “the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday,” according to The New Jersey Historical Society www.jerseyhistory.org
Both Peter J. McGuire and Matthew Maguire attended the county’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year. Both men were well-respected union leaders, and both men were clearly influential in speaking up on behalf of their fellow workers.
Interestingly enough, that very first Labor Day parade was celebrated on TUESDAY, September 5th, 1882 in New York City, in accordance with the plans of The Central Labor Union. The next year, in 1883, the Labor Day parade was held on September 5th once more—which was a Wednesday; the following year, in 1884, the union shifted the holiday to the first Monday in the month of September. “Labor Day—the American holiday on the first Monday of September—generally marks the end of summer, the beginning of the school year, and –in certain circles—an arbitrary cut-off-point for wearing white. It’s frequently celebrated by taking a long-weekend trip, firing up the backyard grill at home, or going to see a Labor Day parade,” posits www.invention.si.edu Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parties, picnics, and parades—festivities and fireworks very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for the holiday, “which suggested that the day be observed with a street parade to exhibit the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations of the community followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families—This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations, “ quotes the U.S. Department of Labor. Speeches by prominent citizens were later introduced, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday.
According to www.farmersalmanac.com the “Don’t Wear White After Labor Day Rule,” was stemmed from practicality. “Prior to the advent of having air-conditioning, clothing choices were important for keeping cool in the summer. White clothing and light-weight fabrics were most popular during the warm summer months. There is speculation that The Rule came from the fashion practices of the wealthy. In the early 1900s, those who were well-to-do often favored white linen suits and breezy dresses. Wearing white after Labor Day meant that you were someone who had the means to have end-of-the-summer vacations. Wearing your whites beyond Labor Day was just, well…showing off!” Some historians believe that this rule was actually a way for the wealthy to separate themselves from the working class. “Not only could they afford vacations—and the expensive clothes to match—but they didn’t do work that stained their white clothes. Middle-Class laborers, on the other hand, often wore dark clothing even in the summer, to hide the dirt and grime that accumulated after a hard day’s work.” By the 1950s, not wearing white after Labor Day was a firm rule among the wealthy, who regarded it as a symbol of refinement.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living. The nation pays tribute to those men and women who have improved working conditions, wages and quality of life for America’s families. The US DOL has a “Hall of Honor.” The Labor Hall of Honor Inductees are recognized as individuals or groups whose “distinct contributions to the field of labor have enhanced the quality of life of millions of citizens; yesterday, today, and for generations to come.” Formal induction ceremonies for the nominees are conducted at The U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.
The picture painted by the story told of the first Labor Day parade, on Tuesday, September 5th, 1882, relates quite THE HULABALOO! On the morning of the first Labor Day parade, “a crowd of spectators filled the sidewalks of lower Manhattan near city hall and along Broadway. They had come early, well before the Labor Day parade marchers, to claim the best vantage points from which to view the first Labor Day Parade. A newspaper account of the day described men on horseback, men wearing regalia, men with societal aprons, men with flags, musical instruments, badges, and all other paraphernalia of a procession!”
On Labor Day we honor the achievements and contributions of American workers and the labor movement. During the Industrial Revolution, workers had to fight for better wages, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. In the late 1800s, during the height of The Industrial Revolution, in the U.S. the average American worked 12-hour days and 7-day weeks. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories, and mines across the country, earning a mere fraction of their adult counterparts. Abhorrent sub-par conditions led workers to organize strikes, rallies and demonstrations. The “Pullman Strike” happened in the summer of 1894, when workers boycotted the railroads to fight for safer working conditions, normal schedules, and living wages. The Pullman Strike was a widespread railroad strike and boycott that disrupted rail traffic in the U.S. from May 11th through July 20th of 1894. “Responding to layoffs, wage cuts, and firings, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike and, eventually, some 125,000-250,000 railroad workers in 27 states joined their cause, stifling the national rail network west of Chicago,” www.britannica.com
Prior to workers organizing their respective unions, laborers faced harsh and unsafe working conditions without any protections, without sufficient access to sanitary facilities, breaks, nor fresh air. The labor movement pressed for significant reforms, including the 40-hour work week, paid time off, and much improved safety measures, which are now common benefits. To honor the labor movement after the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland officially declared Labor Day a national holiday. This “watershed moment in American labor history brought worker’s rights squarely into the public’s view,” www.history.com
On Labor Day, we recognize the American workers’ sacrifices and their social and economic achievements.
AND, www.ribbqnews.com Readers: Here Are A Few BBQ FUN FACTS:
–Labor Day marks the end of PEAK HOT DOG SEASON, so says The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council www.hot-dog.org During Peak Hot Dog Season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 BILLION Hot Dogs! …That’s 818 Hot Dogs consumed every second during Peak Hot Dog Season!
–Labor Day is the 3rd most popular day of the year to BBQ and for firing up the grills! According to a consumer survey by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association; www.hpba.org Labor Day falls behind Memorial Day and the 4th of July to take the Bronze Medal Standing in the BBQ Olympics, but that certainly doesn’t make the BBQ any less tasty! Any day with BBQ, IS A SPLENDID DAY, INDEED!
—“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
Thomas Edison
—“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.”
Estee Lauder
—“It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”
Theodore Roosevelt
