The Meaning Of Labor Day

Every year we go through holiday after holiday forgetting the meaning and importance of why we celebrate them. The meaning behind this holiday is to honor American workers who give the strength, richness, and security to our country on a daily bases. Who is the founder of this holiday? There is a debate about the answer to this question.

According to Dol.gov records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” The site also states that others believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, created this holiday

The idea of Labor Day came about to stop a riot. History.com states On June 26, 1894 the American Railroad Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers. In the wake of this massive unrest and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

The way we celebrate this holiday has changed. Dol.gov mentions that having big parades would cause problems and this change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

Holidays are not about having time off from work or school. They all have a certain meaning behind them and have a story to tell. Below is a video of the story behind Labor Day.