Labor Day: The Story Behind It

Today Labor Day is primarily thought of as the long weekend that marks the end of summer, but Labor Day began as an outgrowth of the labor movement.

Labor unions saw it as a way to recognize worker rights, and to acknowledge the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in 1882 in New York City. By 1884, additional cities throughout the United States were following New York City’s lead. The first Monday in September soon became the “workingmen’s holiday.”

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed  a bill pronouncing that Labor Day would be officially celebrated on the first Monday of September. His motivation was in response to the Pullman strike of that year. When the Pullman workers refused to work because of low pay and miserable work conditions, their actions halted rail traffic. A federal judge issued an injunction, and President Cleveland sent in federal troops to get the trains rolling again. Strike-breaking was not popular, so Cleveland needed a way hold on to votes.

The bill acknowledging Labor Day gave the president a way to recognize workers and their unions. In recognition of Labor Day, I scrolled through my website and thought it appropriate to highlight some of the stories of workers and their accomplishments:

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

While the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was not formed until 1925, the agitation of 1894 over low pay and poor working conditions by the Pullman employees was noted. Eventually, the Brotherhood was formed, and it was the first organization for African Americans to be recognized by the American Federation of Labor (formed in 1886).

A. Philip Randolph, a businessman outside the organization, was chosen to run the Brotherhood and was very effective. Read about the Brotherhood’s wins and losses, here: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The factory fire that occurred in New York City in 1911 was the deadliest industrial accident in the history of New York City and one of the worst work disasters since mass production of products began. The tragedy eventually led to improvements in workplace safety, but it took many years.

The disaster was caused by three components:  

1. As the women sat at their sewing machines on floors 7-9 of the Brown building in Greenwich Village, the fabric cuttings and dust from their work collected on the floor. It was not swept away until after closing each day. This left much material that could burn.
2. Factory owners often locked exits during the work day to prevent workers from leaving.
3. When the horse-drawn fire wagons arrived, none of the ladders reached as high as the factory floors. There was no way to rescue the people, and the fire hoses had difficulty shooting up high enough to reach the upper floors.

One hundred and forty-six people—mostly women—were killed in the fire.  To read more, click on The Triangle Factory Fire and Why It Matters Today.

The Bracero Program

During World War II, many Americans joined the military. Others were needed to work in defense jobs. As a result, more people were needed to work on the farms and feed both civilians and the military.

In 1942, the United States and Mexico formed a partnership known as the Bracero Program. It gave workers from Mexico temporary work papers to come to the U.S. They were to be provided safe housing and meals.

The program was vital to the agricultural industry in the United States during the war. In some locations, the program worked well for immigrants. Unfortunately, too often workers were exploited. Read What Was the U.S. Bracero Program?

Dolores Huerta, Labor Organizer

Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta are two important names in California. As labor leaders and civil rights activists, they co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) at a time when it was badly needed. Farm workers performed back-breaking labor over the course of long days in the hot sun. In 1965, Huerta and Chavez launched one of the most important strikes in U.S. history. Over 2,000 mostly Filipino-American farm workers refused to pick grapes in the grape region near Bakersfield, California.

While it took five years to spearhead change, Chavez and Huerta set in motion consumer boycotts which eventually led to slight improvements in the work situation for agricultural workers. To read more about Dolores Huerta, clock here.

Luisa Moreno, Fought for Food-Processing Workers

Luisa Moreno became one of the prime organizers to protest against the poor working conditions in canneries and food-processing plants in the southwest.  On behalf of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (a federation of many unions), she formed the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA). In organizing this group she brought thousands of Mexican food-processing workers (primarily women) into the ranks of organized labor. Here’s the story of Luisa Moreno.

Mary Heaton Vorse, Journalist and Crusader for Worker Rights

Luisa Moreno became one of the prime organizers to protest against the poor working conditions in canneries and food-processing plants in the southwest.  On behalf of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (a federation of many unions), she formed the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA). In organizing this group she brought thousands of Mexican food-processing workers (primarily women) into the ranks of organized labor. Here’s the story of Mary Heaton Vorse.

Garrett Morgan: Inventor Led to Gains in Worker Safety

In addition to good pay and decent working conditions, safety equipment is vital to many professions, but assessing what is necessary for each profession takes time and experimentation.  

The safety hood—later known as the gas mask—was one big step forward. It was needed in many types of work ranging from mining and digging as well as to aid the military. The gas mask was invented by a Black inventor, Garrett Morgan, who received great publicity for the hood when he was called to help with a rescue under Lake Erie in his hometown of Clevland. When a tunnel collapsed and men were trapped, both Morgan and his brother took safety hoods and went in to help with the rescue. To read more about Garrett Morgan, click here: Garrett A. Morgan: Successful Inventor of Safety Hood/Traffic Signal.

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