Everything about Labor Day in the US

Everything about Labor Day in the US:

Today, the first Monday of September is called Labor Day in America.

Labor Day is a federal holiday, which is annually celebrated to honor the American labor movements and to celebrate American workers who are responsible for the country’s improvement.

For some people, Labor Day is the end of summer.

But how did it become a federal holiday?

Are you ready to hear a historical story?

It was the late 1800s, in the middle of America’s industrial revolution, when an average American had to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to be able to live a basic life; but the problem was even bigger, to gain more money, families made their 5-year-olds work in factories and mines. In those days, the working environment was awful for immigrants and poor families, laborers didn’t have a proper health care facility, rest time, or even access to fresh air. Day by day everything got worse and therefore some labor unions were made to strike and object to the situation. Many people, workers and policemen, were killed in these movements.

First America’s Labor Day Parade was held in NYC in 1882, approximately 10,000 workers took part in this parade, from City Hall to Union Square, to protest. After this event, Matthew Maguire suggested Labor Day but it took congress 12 years to accept it as a federal holiday.

on May 11th, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company went on a strike in Chicago to protest the firing of the union representatives and wage cuts. On June 26th the company was boycotted and therefore the government sent its troops to handle the situation, which caused the death of many workers.

The US government, in Grover Cleveland presidential time, wanted to repair ties with workers therefore it made Labor Day an official holiday. We don’t know who exactly started this 3-days weekend but it was either Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire.

On this Holiday you can:

go on a picnic, watch fireworks, take part in parades and enjoy every moment.