Celebrate Labor's History

CELEBRATE LABOR'S HISTORY

Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo

We Americans celebrate all sorts of holidays. And most of them, whether it's the Fourth of July or George Washington's birthday are dedicated to a particular event or individual, but one holiday differs from the rest in that manner—Labor Day, which will be celebrated on Monday, September 1st this year. The founder of the American Federation of Labor, Samuel Gompers, said, "Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day . . . is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation." Unlike most of our holidays, Labor Day celebrates, or more aptly, recognizes, the contribution of every American who works and labors. Whether you work in factory, in a hospital, on a farm, in mining, in a store, or if you own your own business, Labor Day is dedicated to you and the contribution you make every day.

Labor Day had its beginnings in the 1880s, and grew out of a celebration and parade by the Knights of Labor in New York.
Working men at the time, many of them union members, wanted a day of their own to recognize their contribution to America - a workers' holiday. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. Two years later, the recognition was moved to the first Monday in September, which is where it has remained.

It began small enough with just a few towns setting aside a day for picnics and parade. And then, the idea caught on—a number of states, starting with Oregon, and later including New York and Massachusetts, quickly adopted it as a holiday.
By 1894, Labor Day had become so popular that by a unanimous vote, the U.S. Congress made it a national holiday. Since then, Labor Day has been part of the American calendar. It's a chance to appropriately recognize those who work to make a contribution to our country everyday when they do their jobs.

In an age that has become very technical and an economy that has shifted to being more service-oriented, we may have lost our focus on the contribution that individuals make in the work place. As automated as we might have become, and as much as our economy has changed from the one our parents and grandparents knew, we still rely on individuals making their best efforts to do their job's well.

Labor Day—true to its roots—isn't a somber holiday at all. It's a cheerful day, one that marks the contributions of all those who work. Whether you celebrate it by enjoying a parade or a local celebration, or just having a family picnic, that is very much what the founders of the holiday, over 100 years ago, had in mind.