This coming Monday is Labor Day; marking the end of summer, the beginning of the school year, and of course for some, a long weekend! But what really are we meant to celebrate on this holiday, besides getting to sleep in on a Monday?
How did Labor Day get started?
In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked 12-hour days and 7-day weeks in order to make ends meet. Furthermore, despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 had to work in mills, factories and mines across the country.
As the industries continued to grow, labor unions grew more prominent and vocal. They began to organize strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay.
On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. History.
The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday”, celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country and many states passed legislation recognizing it. 12 years later Congress legalized the holiday. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the holiday into law.
Whether you take a day to fire up the grill, or go on a last-minute camping trip, we can all rest a little easy knowing that working conditions are infinitely better now that what they were in the late 1800’s.
Thomason Swanson & Zahn would also like to let everyone know that our offices will be closed Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. Have a safe and relaxed day off!
Thomason Swanson & Zahn
218-303-9549