Labor Day 2021 means Summer is gone and school is a new reality. Before fall schedules and school terms completely take over, it’s time for one last celebration.
So, FLASS brings you this special holiday blog edition. We will delay our topics to dedicate this blog to working Americans and the history responsible for this holiday.
The Balance: Work, Life, Family
Labor Day: Take Time For Family and Friend Fun.
The Labor Day holiday has become an important time. Additionally, it is a time to renew, refresh and re-invigorate family members and friends. Today, we embrace the philosophy of a Balance between Work, Family, and Play.
Having time for work, for play, and for the family is the secret of life. Labor Day focuses on “play.” Isn’t it strange that it is called “Labor Day?” After all, the entire objective of the day is not to work?
So, we plan family fun for every age. And yes, we make time to connect with family and friends. That’s a part of the holiday.
Firstly, we will spend time picnicking, hiking, and swimming. Then we will share camping, boating, and sight-seeing. And finally, we’ll even take time for holiday sale excursions. Labor Day provides healthy moments of refreshment for the mind, spirit, and body.
Labor Day 2021: The Forgotten Revolution
But there is more to Labor Day 2021 than picnics, parks, parades, and barbecues. In fact, it is a mysterious and misunderstood holiday. So, we depart from our usual topics to bring you some special Labor Day facts, stories, and statistics.
Firstly, we take this opportunity to send out Happy Labor Day congratulations to the millions of American workers who enrich our country today.
Labor Day 2021, A Touch of Holiday History
Most Americans only vaguely know the details of Labor Day. And, it is true that picnics, parties, and parades will consume our nation’s energy this coming long weekend.
Sometimes we get very involved with just having the freedom of a three-day holiday. Then, we forget the reason the Labor Day holiday was nationalized.
Labor Movements, Protests: The First Labor Day Celebration
To begin, we turn back the clock to the time of the Industrial Revolution. It seems the first American Labor Day was in New York City.
10,000 marching men in 1882 instigated the entire idea. And they had plenty of labor problems to protest.
However, on the day of September 5, 1882, the laborers created a peaceful demonstration. Why did they demonstrate?
People, of that era, men, women, and even children, worked 10 plus hour days. This was part of the daily routine. Some worked even longer hours.
Our Labor Day: Founded on Labor Reform
Before Labor Reform: It Was Not a Great Time For Worker… Long Hours and Little Pay.
Imagine the working conditions of that time period with its unsafe working environment in every factory. (No wonder fire was feared. No laws existed for sprinkler systems in those days.)
Horrific labor stories abound from this period of history. Some of these stories could melt the hardest hearts. For example, let’s look at the story of March 25, 1911.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Factory Fire
One of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history occurred in New York City. 148 people died. The “deaths were largely preventable”…”Most of the victims died as a result of neglected safety features and locked doors within the factory building.”
Before Workers Had Rights
What were worker’s lives like in that time period? Definitely, Not Good. The lives of workers during that time period before the birth of unions were nothing like ours.
Today, we would consider Child labor unbelievable. However, at this time, a 5-year-old could be worked right beside her mother in a sweatshop. And wages were pitiful.
Of course, both mother and child would have quotas.) Low pay was the standard. In fact, Labor was the company’s cheapest resource.
10-16 hour workdays exhausted families. To be clear, Family time was non-existent, as were children’s playtime.
The First Labor Day
Children Were Forced to Work in Dangerous and Unhealthy Conditions… No Playtime For Kids.
But on that day, in 1882, the first Labor Day Celebration occurred. The protesting and speeches erupted in massive picnicking instead of violence. That’s right, massive picnicking followed the intense picketing on that first NYC Labor Day. All of this happened on September 5, 1882.
However, incredible as it seems, our society had to wait until 1916 for the 8-hour work-day to become law.
Importance of the Adamson Act?
This important labor law occurred with the authority of the Adamson Act in 1916. The Adamson Act was the first legislation that mandated a 40-hour work-week.
Additionally, the act also established additional pay for overtime.
And there is more behind the story of the 8 hour day in the eyes of history. The story begins a year after the NYC peaceful demonstration and celebration of the first Labor Day.
The Pullman Story
It began when an 1883 economic depression caused a downturn in the purchase of rail cars for passenger trains. As a result, the owner attempted to regain losses at the expense of the workers.
“Railroad company owner George Pullman cut workers’ wages. Then, he refused to lower their rents.
A nation-wide labor strike ensued…” To squelch the rebellious behavior, President Grover Cleveland called in military muscle.”
And then, violence ensued. Real Violence. The unfortunate statistics from that clash included “30 deaths, 57 injured, and $80 million dollars in property damage.”
President Cleveland: The Holiday’s Beginning
Now, we can understand the reason that President Cleveland was eager to make Labor Day a federal holiday one year later. He needed to redeem himself in some way. Oh, yes, he rushed Congress into creating the official holiday.
However, it was not until 23 years later, with the Adamson Act, that we actually established the 8-hour workday and 40-hour work-week.
Those are the statistics and the stories. They tell the tale behind our Labor Day Holiday. Why is This Background Important?
We at FLass believe that we can only truly appreciate a holiday if we know the history and the heritage behind it.
And Now—Back to the 21st Century
Happy Labor Day. Avoid Work and Keep the Family Fun.
In our next blog,
we plan to update the list of priorities for your Pfizer booster. If you missed last week’s edition on this topic, we invite you to check it out.
And in the meantime, we wish you a warm and happy holiday and happiness to you and your family. Have a safe, happy, and healthy Labor Day Holiday.