History of Labor Day
Labor Day is a yearly celebration of the social and economic accomplishments of American workers and is observed on the first Monday in September. (History of Labor Day)
The celebration has its origins in the late nineteenth century when labor leaders lobbied for the establishment of a federal holiday to honor the numerous contributions made by workers to the strength, wealth, and well-being of the United States.
Initial Adopters
Labor Day was celebrated by labor leaders and individual states before it became a federal holiday. Following the adoption of local ordinances in 1885 and 1886, a push to gain state legislation emerged.
On February 21, 1887, Oregon became the first state to enact a statute commemorating Labor Day, despite New York being the first state to introduce a bill. F
our other states—Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York—passed legislation establishing a Labor Day vacation in 1887. Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had all done the same by the end of the decade.
The first Monday in September of every year becomes a legal holiday thanks to a law established by Congress on June 28, 1894, which was followed by the adoption of the holiday by 23 more states. (History of Labor Day)
Who Founded Labor Day, according to McGuire v. Maguire?
Who suggested the workers’ holiday first? Although it’s not certain, two workers can credibly lay claim to the title of Labor Day’s Founder.
Records indicate that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire—who was also a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor and general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners—proposed designating a day as a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
However, Peter McGuire’s status as a Labor Day historical figure has not been uncontested. Many people think that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, originated the holiday, not Peter McGuire.
Recent research appears to support the idea that the holiday was established in 1882 while Matthew Maguire was secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Maguire would later become the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey.
The Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that “the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday” after President Cleveland signed the law establishing a national Labor Day.
Both Maguire and McGuire attended the nation’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year. (History of Labor Day)
The first day of labor
A drawing depicts a sizable throng assembled to view a procession. New York City, September 5, 1882, is written on the picture. The inaugural Labor Day parade.
According to the Central Labor Union’s plans, the first Labor Day holiday was observed on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City.
Just one year later, on September 5, 1883, the Central Labor Union celebrated its second Labor Day celebration.
On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a measure declaring the first Monday in September of every year a national holiday. By 1894, the holiday had been enacted in 23 additional states. (History of Labor Day)
A Federal Holiday
The first proposal for a holiday suggested that the day be observed with a street parade to demonstrate “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.
Today, many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics, and parties—celebrations very similar to those outlined by that proposal. This established a precedent for Labor Day celebrations.
Later, as more emphasis was placed on the economic and civic value of the holiday, speeches by notable men and women were introduced.
The Sunday before Labor Day was eventually designated as Labor Sunday and was devoted to the spiritual and educational facets of the labor movement by a resolution passed at the American Federation of Labor convention in 1909.
The labor movement has helped us get closer to realizing our traditional goals of economic and political democracy.
American labor has enhanced the nation’s quality of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known.
Therefore, it is fitting that on Labor Day, the country honors the American worker, who is responsible for so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership. (History of Labor Day)
Inductees into the Hall of Fame
The Labor Hall of Honor pays tribute to American workers who made unique contributions to the labor movement that improved millions of people’s lives in the past, present, and future.
Each year, new inductees are selected, and a formal induction ceremony is held in the U.S. You can read more about each of them by clicking on the name mentioned below, either in chronological or alphabetical view. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.
Annual Inductee
- The Crucial Personnel of the Coronavirus Epidemic in 2022
- Robert P. Griffin in 2019
- Howard Jenkins Jr. in 2019
- Ronald Reagan in 2018
- Frank Kameny, 2016
- Janet L. Norwood, 2015
- Carroll D. Wright, 2015
- Ed (Ted) M. 2015 Kennedy
- The Chinese Railroad Workers in 2014
- Esther Peterson, 2013
- Bayard Rustin, 2013
- Dolores Huerta 2012
- Mark Ayers in 2012
- Tony Mazzocchi, 2012
- Addie Wyatt, 2012
- 2012 The Farm Worker Movement’s Pioneers
- 2011 Memphis sanitation employees’ strike
- Helen Keller in 2010
- (2007). Leonard F. Woodcock
- John Willard Marriott 2008
- William B. Wilson, 2007
- Adolphus Busch for 2007
- in 2006, Alfred E.
- Charles R. Walgreen, 2006
- Peter J. Brennan, 2005
- Robert Wood Johnson II in 2005
- Peter J. McGuire, 2004
- Harley-Davidson from 2004
- Steve Young, 2003
- Milton Hershey, 2003
- Paul Hall, 2003
- Lane Kirkland, 2002
- James E. Casey, 2002
- 9/11 Rescue Personnel, 2002
- Joseph A. Beirne, 2000
- Terence V. Powderly, 1999
- Cesar E. Chavez in 1998
- David A. Morse in 1997
- William Green in 1996
- Arthur J. Goldberg, 1995
- George W. Taylor in 1994
- David Dubinsky in 1993
- Mother Jones in 1992
- 1992 Stewart Hillman
- Philip Murray, 1991
- Mary Anderson, 1991
- Robert F. Wagner in 1990
- Walter P. Reuther, 1990
- Henry J. Kaiser in 1990
- Eugene V. Debs in 1990
- 1989 A. Robert Randolph
- Frances Perkins in 1989
- James P. Mitchell in 1989
- George Meany in 1989
- John L. Lewis, 1989
- Samuel Gompers in 1989
- John R. Commons in 1989
- Cyrus S. Ching, 1989
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