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Labor Day: A Hard-Earned Day Off
Labor Day is only a few weeks away and we know what you’re thinking: Good-bye summer vacation. Just why does Labor Day fall so close to the start of school? And why do we celebrate it?
Labor Day doesn’t honor a president or our country’s war heroes. It honors everyone who works. It’s especially a day to remember workers and union leaders who fought for things we take for granted now, such as the eight-hour workday.
In the 1800s, workers spent 12 hours a day or more, six days a week, toiling in factories, mines, construction and other work sites. They rarely were allowed to take breaks. They often got hurt or sick. Yet they earned just a few dollars a week, poverty wages.
Workers began to form and join labor unions to fight the terrible conditions. They bravely took part in strikes and protests. One such protest is considered the first Labor Day parade.
It occurred on Sept. 5, 1882. Thousands of workers, applauded by spectators on the sidewalk, marched around Union Square in New York City. They demanded that work be limited to eight hours a day: “8 Hours of Work, 8 Hours of Rest — 8 Hours of What We Will!” declared some of the signs they carried.
Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a holiday, and 31 other states followed. Finally, in 1894, President Grover Cleveland made it a national holiday.
Today, many union locals and towns across the country hold picnics and parades on Labor Day. Find out if your town is having an event. It’s sure a lot more fun than thinking about tests, lunch lines and homework.
Labor Day doesn’t honor a president or our country’s war heroes. It honors everyone who works. It’s especially a day to remember workers and union leaders who fought for things we take for granted now, such as the eight-hour workday.
In the 1800s, workers spent 12 hours a day or more, six days a week, toiling in factories, mines, construction and other work sites. They rarely were allowed to take breaks. They often got hurt or sick. Yet they earned just a few dollars a week, poverty wages.
Workers began to form and join labor unions to fight the terrible conditions. They bravely took part in strikes and protests. One such protest is considered the first Labor Day parade.
It occurred on Sept. 5, 1882. Thousands of workers, applauded by spectators on the sidewalk, marched around Union Square in New York City. They demanded that work be limited to eight hours a day: “8 Hours of Work, 8 Hours of Rest — 8 Hours of What We Will!” declared some of the signs they carried.
Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a holiday, and 31 other states followed. Finally, in 1894, President Grover Cleveland made it a national holiday.
Today, many union locals and towns across the country hold picnics and parades on Labor Day. Find out if your town is having an event. It’s sure a lot more fun than thinking about tests, lunch lines and homework.