The unofficial end of summer is marked by the holiday we call Labor Day. “Fortune” estimates that about 15.6 million people will travel by air over the three-day weekend, and this does not include travelers on the days before and after the holiday, nor does it include people who are going by bus or car to their destination. Many businesses offer major discounts to get people out to shop. There are many retailers who claim the Labor Day sales dates garner the second largest profits in the year, after Black Friday. Labor Day is big business for many different industries, but how did this holiday get started?
The Roots of Labor Day
The U.S. Census Bureau states that the first observance of Labor Day was most likely in New York City on September 5, 1882, when workers assembled for a parade. Matthew Maquire, who served as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York, is one of the two people thought to be credited with proposing a day to honor laborers. Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor is the second man who is often credited. He observed the festival in Toronto, Canada, and believed that workers in America deserved a day to be honored for the endeavors.
Whoever is given the credit, many states followed suit in having parades to honor the workers. President Grover Cleveland established Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894, but over half of the states already officially celebrated the holiday. Labor Day was supported by Congress and the president to help regain support for trade unions following the Pullman Strike and boycott. The intent of Labor Day was to honor the social and economic contributions made by the laborers who were often forgotten.
Celebrating Labor Day
During the Industrial Revolution, it was the great and powerful men, such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller or Henry Ford, who were credited with building the infrastructure of the economy in America. These men brought the vision and the financing to build a strong steel industry or motor vehicle business to the United States, but it was the workers and laborers who turned their vision into a reality. During the first Labor Day parades, the workers were the celebrated heroes.
Today, Labor Day is celebrated much differently. Many communities have parades and other events as part of the “last hurrah of summer.” Families take one last vacation to the beach or the mountains to get away before the fall routine sets in. These vacations should be encouraged. Most Americans work too many hours and neglect taking time off. Communities that rely on tourism get a boost to their economies with the Labor Day sales and events.
Still, there are many workers who get overlooked during the holiday. Community services such as fire and police have to be maintained. Retail stores that offer sales need staff to get through the day. Hospital and nursing home staff can’t just take a day off without leaving patients at risk. Sure, many places offer holiday pay, but the real purpose of Labor Day was not to increase a paycheck, but to give workers a day of rest.
If you’re an entrepreneur or manager, make sure your employees are taking time off and getting vacations. When you travel this Labor Day, thank the staff who serve you at the restaurant for working on this three-day weekend. Be kind to the cashier who takes your money at the store. Leave a nice tip for the hotel maid who cleans your room so that you can have fun. Take a few minutes to remember the people who keep businesses running but are often overlooked.