We wish you and yours a safe and pleasant Labor Day weekend. Labor Day marks the end of summer and pays tribute to American workers and the labor movement. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement.
Beginning in the late 19th century as the “trade union” and “labor movements” grew, the trade unionist proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. Labor Day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first Labor Day Parade in New York City. In 1887 Oregon was the first state to make it an official holiday.
The Holiday was established in 1884 as an official federal holiday after a strike in Chicago by employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company against wage cuts and the firing of union reps. The following boycott of railway cars by the American Railroad Union crippled the industry. To break the strike, the Federal Government sent troops to quash the unrest, which resulted in a wave of riots and more than a dozen worker’s deaths. Thanks to the labor movement, child labor and grueling seven days a week fourteen hour days are no longer the norm for American workers.
We’re experiencing a heat wave here in California right now so please stay safe, take care of your pets, and hydrate! All the best from Santa Barbara, California!
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