“Each year, Labor Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions that working men and women make to our nation, our economy and our collective prosperity. It gives us a chance to show gratitude for worker’s grit, dedication, ingenuity and strength, which define our nation’s character.” - Tom Perez In the 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked 12-hour days, seven days a week. In certain states, workers were as young as five years old and earned very little.
The poor and immigrants often worked in unsafe conditions that could lead to illness, injury, and death. They were unable to have a sufficient amount of fresh air, as well as breaks. Workers began to protest and organize strikes, as well as manage to renegotiate their work hours and pay with their bosses. About 10,000 workers in New York City held the first Labor Day parade, refusing to work and instead marched from City Hall to Union Square.
The idea of a “workingman’s holiday” caught the attention of industrial centers across the country, leading to many states passing legislation to recognize it. However, there were employers that disagreed with this idea. Because of this, the protests of the 1880s became violent.
Chicago’s Haymarket Square riot occurred on 4 May 1886.
During the riot, someone threw a bomb at the police. This caused at least eight deaths and ended in eight anarchists being convicted on murder charges, resulting in half of them being executed.
During the nationwide economic recession in 1893, George Pullman laid off hundreds of workers and lessened the pay for many of the remaining workers. After cutting wages, he refused to lower the rents or store prices, where most of his employees lived. These workers became angry and walked out in May of 1894.
The next month, the leader of the American Railway Union, Eugene V. Debs, declared a boycott of all trains using Pullman cars.
This Pullman strike was effective, causing rail traffic in 27 states, from Chicago to the West Coast. The General Managers Association group sought help from the government to shut the strike down. On 29 June, Debs gave a speech, which gathered a crowd. Members of the crowd set fire to nearby buildings and derailed locomotives. Attorney General Richard Olney asked for an injunction against the strike and its leaders from the federal district court, which he received on 2 July.
The next day, President Cleveland dispatched federal troops to the city in order to enforce the injunction. With the arrival of federal troops, the Pullman strike turned bloody. The troops were recalled, and Debs and several others were arrested, serving six months in jail. Rioters destroyed hundreds of railroad cars on 6 July.
The following day, National Guardsmen fired into a mob, killing approximately 30 people and wounding many others.
Before this strike, Congress made Labor Day a federal legal holiday, and President Cleveland signed the bill into law on 18 June 1894, eleven days before Debs speech.
The official creator of this holiday is unknown, though it is suspected to have been Peter J. McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation labor, or Matthew Maguire, secretary of the Central labor union.
“For working people and union members, Labor Day stands for something special and profound. It’s a day to honor the deep commitment each of us has to serve the children we teach, the families we heal, and the communities we love.” - Randi Weingarten