The Meaning of Labor Day

On the first Monday in September, you might wonder what family barbecues have to do with Labor Day. You might have asked the question while standing in a long line of shoppers gearing up for the last day of summer or during your workday when you were waiting on a long line of customers at a Labor Day sale.  

The answer is that all these events are part of the meaning behind Labor Day.  

Labor unions became prominent in the 1800s as workers during the Industrial Revolution faced long hours, low pay, and unsafe working conditions. Union strikes and rallies often became violent. That wasn’t the case on September 5, 1882, when tens of thousands of workers in New York took an unpaid day off to hold the first Labor Day parade, a nonviolent affair, followed by speeches and picnics in a park.

On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September a national Labor Day holiday. Many states protested allowing a holiday for their workers. This was in part due to the arguments by factory owners that they needed their laborers. But it soon became apparent that once work weeks were shortened and wages increased, the economy became much better. Now those American workers were consumers for the American-made products.  

Today “Labor Day sales” are frequently the most searched for terms, after Black Friday or Christmas sales. And these summer clearance savings are often more substantial than other sales during the year.

So, this Labor Day, whether you’re working, shopping, or enjoying a day of food-fueled festivities, remember that the holiday is a part of how the United States workforce has evolved.