World Labor Day
Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers remarked on the first Monday of September. The holiday is initiated in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions that workers have performed to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.
Historical Background:
Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states before it was a federal holiday. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. In 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
Founder of Labor Day:
Historical records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a "general holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude nature have carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.
According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that "the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday." Both Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year.
The First Labor Day:
The event of first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
By 1894, more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
A Nationwide Holiday:
Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics, and parties very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and bliss of the workers and their families. This became the model for the celebrations of Labor Day.
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed on the economic and civic significance of the holiday.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known and the labor movement has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, enthusiasm, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.
May Day Celebrations:
Labor Day is also known as May Day and is a public holiday in many countries across the world. It usually occurs around May 1, but the date can vary from region to region. It's crystal clear now that 1st May Day has been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups since the Second International. May Day is one of the most important holidays in communist countries such as China, Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and the former Soviet Union countries. May Day celebrations in these countries typically feature elaborate workforce parades, including displays of military hardware and soldiers.
Responsibilities on Labor Day:
Labor Day (Labor Day in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labor Day has its origins in the labor union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. It’s the responsibility of others to fight for the rights of laborers, who are much hard working and earning very low.