Labor Day has always been, for me, a symbol of one last chance to partake in summer’s delights—a barbeque with friends, a roadtrip before children’s school activities dominate the calendar, one last dip at the city park pool before it’s too cold to enjoy, a small town parade.
It’s easy for me to answer the questions of where to plunk my lawn chair along the parade route and whether or not to toss in a sweater for the weekend roadtrip; it is not so easy to answer another question that crossed my mind today: “Why do we celebrate Labor Day?”
Most of the accounts I found that answer the question, “Why do we celebrate Labor Day?” talk about the first Labor Day (September 5, 1882) and argue over who founded Labor Day (Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire) and the reason the first Monday of September was chosen as the permanent date for the holiday rather than the alternative choice of May 1 (Haymarket Affair).
Those accounts don’t talk about labor unions or the benefits that have resulted from the collective action of unions. Since their inception in the1800s, labor unions exercised the tenets of democracy to leverage rights for workers such as the 8 hour work day, child labor laws, equality in pay, and protection for worker safety and health.
Many workers in this country, including myself, have never been and may never be union members but it’s important for me to know and appreciate how I benefit from the toils both of my fellow workers, past and present, and the labor unions that represent them.
So, this weekend, as I barbeque, head out on a roadtrip, swim, and clap along to the beat of the bass drum as the band marches by during the parade, I will know I have got the labor unions to thank, not only for my long holiday weekend but also for so many rights and protections I take for granted every day.