Labor Day…Just Another Holiday?

According to the Department Of Labor, the federal holiday of Labor Day was a creation of the labor movement in America. It is a "dedication to social and economic achievements of American workers." Many believe the very first Labor Day parade was held in 1882, when 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City to raise concerns regarding labor issues. Although it did not become a legalized holiday until 12 years later, small parades like these became common as workers took unpaid time off in order to vocalize issues they all shared.

The pinnacle moment for the holiday arrived in May 1894. Workers from the Pullman Palace Company protested unfair wage cuts and termination of union representatives. After workers sought the support from the American Railroad Union, its President, Eugene V. Debs, requested a boycott on Pullman railway cars. The end result was a protest causing President Grover Cleveland to intervene, sending in troops to halt the intense rioting and bloodshed. Although Debs and many other union workers were jailed, this boycott raised public concern for worker rights. Thus, Congress decided to make the first Monday of every September Labor Day.

Labor Issues are Worldwide Issues

Many are not aware that labor issues and the labor movement are not unique to the United States, but rather a worldwide issue. For starters, in 1817, Robert Owen, an English social reformer, coined the slogan, "Eight Hours Labour, Eight Hours Recreation, Eight Hours Rest" in his goal to create 8 hour workdays for workers in England. France won its right for 12-hour workdays during their industrial revolution. Demands also included better working conditions and organization for trade unions. Industrial revolutions and many of the same labor issues found in the United States were also being faced outside our borders. As a result, the International Worker's Day (or May Day) is celebrated on a worldwide scale. This holiday is often used as a day for political demonstrations in connection with the celebration of worker rights.

Labor Issues Today & The Importance of the Labor Day Holiday Now

Although it would be nice to think that all labor concerns worldwide have been solved since the 1880s, this is not the case. In early November 2007 to February 2008 the Writer's Guild of America, East and the Writer's Guild of America, West led a Writer's Strike bringing writer's concerns on compensation to the forefront. In 2005, New York City Transit Workers conducted a strike for worker benefits and wages. 600 pilots of All Nippon Airways went on a 24-hour strike in Japan to protest management's response to the pilots' concerns for safety in April of this year. South African construction workers recently ended a strike after receiving a 12% pay increase, a 1 percentage point decrease from their earlier demands of 13%. Labor issues are still of concern across the globe. As a result, the holiday of Labor Day and International Worker's Day still calls to mind the fact that there are unmet labor concerns. We hope on this upcoming Labor Day that these issues will one day be resolved, keeping both employers and their workers satisfied, safe, and engaged.