Why DO we celebrate Labor Day?
At OpEdNews I found this wonderful piece about those who made Labor Day significant. For me, Labor Day is the day that my middle son was born (giving a whole new meaning to the term - Labor Day). But, for many, we never really think about why this day, in the beginning of September, should mean anything more than the last push of summer, the last day of freedom, before another school year begins. How about this:
It’s Labor Day, and that means millions of Americans are celebrating. Most Americans have no idea what Labor Day is, other than self-serving political speeches, hot dogs, burgers, a pool party, and the last day of a three-day holiday. Few even know that Labor Day exists to allow people to remember and honor the struggles for respect, dignity, and acceptable wages and working conditions for the rank-and-file employees.
We don’t know that the Knights of Labor created the first Labor Day in 1882 and that Congress made it a national holiday in 1894.
He talks about Mother Jones, “Big Bill” Haywood and Samuel Gompers, huge voices in the labor movement in this country. He mentions Saul Alinsky, about whom we have written before.
Too much history for me to quote here, I invite you to read the whole article for a better appreciation of what the labor movement has meant to this country’s workers and a better knowledge of who made it possible.
And have a happy Labor Day.
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