What is Labor Day?

Показать описание

On the first Monday of every September,
Americans celebrate Labor Day.
Labor Day Weekend marks the final days
of summer, and most people observe
the holiday weekend outside with
family and friends, making the
most of the weather...
...while perhaps celebrating with
hotdogs and cold beer.

But just what is Labor Day, anyway?
Labor Day first became a federal
holiday in 1894, and was created as a day to honor
and celebrate the American Worker.

What better way to celebrate workers
than giving them a day off, right?

Back then things worked differently,
and to understand Labor Day, we need to
go a little further into the past.
Before labor unions were a thing,
no regulations existed on what employers
could ask their employees to do. This meant that employees were very often
required to work extraordinarily long hours, with no job protection from discrimination, or even violence! Worse, young children were often put to work
in factories, mines, railroads, warehouses,
and other dangerous work environments.

Workers and working families had nowhere
to turn for help, so they turned to each other,
so they formed America’s first labor unions. Unions worked to collectively bargain
with employers for better wages
and working conditions.
And served as a unified voice for
workers of all professions.
Early unions and union members fought tirelessly
to establish the 8-hour-workday, weekends
off, enact child labor laws, and create
the federal minimum wage.

Since then, Unions have served as vigilant
advocates, protecting the basic human
rights of workers on the job.
Modern unions are now more important than
ever to make sure all Americans share in
our nation’s prosperity,
including bargaining for higher wages, increased
paid sick leave, employer-sponsored health
coverage and fighting for equality
for working people.

We observe Labor Day not only to honor
those who helped shape Workers’ Rights,
but also to celebrate our nation’s unions and
all workers who power America everyday.