In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution helped to modernize the United States. Workers often compromised their rights in the workplace. Extended work hours and pay cuts were opposed, and labor groups protected themselves from unionizing. Until 1872, unions were illegal in Canada. In 1872, thousands of Ottawa laborers marched to Prime Minister John McDonald’s home. The anti-union law repealed that year, and the march became a yearly Canadian tradition. Toronto invited American union leader, Peter J. McGuire to their 1882 labor celebration. After visiting Canada, McGuire spoke to the New York City Laborers’ and proposed a similar march. September 5th was chosen as the date because it filled the long void between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. That same year, New Jersey machinist, Matthew Maguire proposed a laborers celebration. The first American Labor Day celebration took place on September 5th, 1882 and thousands of New York City laborers marched from City Hall to Union Square. They met at Reservoir Park for concerts, picnics, and speeches rallying for an eight-hour workday. In 1884, the Central Labor Union moved the holiday to the first Monday in September. They encouraged other cities to follow suit and march for “the working man’s holiday.” For many, the choice was to continue working that day or to march without pay. In 1887, Oregon became the first state to legalize the holiday and other states soon followed. In 1894, railway workers in Pullman, Illinois went on strike to protest wage cuts. President Grover Cleveland sent 12,000 federal troops to break the strike. Two strike workers died during this protest. To appease the nation’s workers, President Cleveland signed a bill to make Labor Day a federal holiday. In the 1950’s America’s workers continued to gain power when over a third of the labor forces were unionized. Labor Day became a day to rally for fair pay, safer conditions, and benefits. The United States labor force diminished in the second half of the 20th century due to factories closing and outsourcing jobs to other countries. Today, workers still hold parades and speeches unite the ever-dwindling labor force. For now, most Americans leisurely enjoy the day as it marks the holiday of the summer.
At Buchheit, we believe that this holiday is a well-deserved tribute to all workers. This Labor Day, all eight Buchheit Retail stores with close at 5:30 pm to ensure that our team members can enjoy the evening with family and friends.
May you and your family enjoy Labor Day weekend,
The Buchheit Family
