Why is it called Labor Day?
By Tania Dooley
Labor Day is a day that honors the contributions of the American worker. It is celebrated the first Monday in September and it is a day when most laborers, or workers, have a day off. According to Department of Labor, a governmental site, the first Labor Day observed included street parades and speeches honoring workers and the trade and labor unions. A union is a group of workers from a particular profession that ensure workers have good working conditions and fair pay. There are all kinds of unions, teacher unions, police unions, electrical, plumbing, construction, and many more.
One of the main reasons for the rise and the need for unions was because of the conditions which workers faced during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a time period in the 1800's which saw many people transition from working on their farms to working in factories in the city. There were no standards like we see today in companies for things such as breaks, lunch, set working hours per day, or even age limitations. So in the workforce you might see dangerous conditions, children working, and up to 12-hour days or more. Very often fires broke out in these factories, often killing workers. These could have been prevented had there been safer conditions set into place.
This led to workers organizing and protesting in the streets for better conditions, eventually leading to organized unions which still protect workers today.
For most people who have forgotten the real reason behind Labor Day, they celebrate this day as the end of summer. However, it is really to observe the achievements of workers who are the backbone of our American society.
Related blog post:
On this day in history: The 8-hour workday was established.
https://thepowerofreadingandlearning.blogspot.com/2020/05/on-this-day-in-history-8-hour-workday.html
References
History of Labor Day. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history
