Labor Day
[Repost: Originally posted September 4, 2006]
Did you know that on the federal level Labor Day was an attempt to gain votes for a troubled presidency?
Labor Day was first celebrated in 1882. A New York City labor union chose Tuesday September 5th as a day to celebrate the strength of labor unions. The initial proposal for the holiday described a parade followed by a festival setup for workers and their families. Other cities followed New York in setting aside the holiday, which moved from September 5th to the first Monday in September in 1884. Eventually state legislatures began setting aside the holiday, beginning with Oregon in 1887. A strike in 1893 would lead to federal recognition of the holiday.
In 1893 unions moved to help the workers of the Pullman rail car company. Pullman's workers lived in Pullman Illinois, a city setup by George Pullman president of the company. Rent for those who lived and worked in Pullman was deducted from their paychecks. However this became a problem when rail car orders declined due to a nation wide depression. The Pullman company lowered wages, but did not lower what it charged workers for rent.
The workers walked off the job protesting the squeeze being put on them by the Pullman company. The cause would gain the support of national labor unions who destroyed Pullman made sleeping cars in protest of the company's policies. Eventually President Grover Cleveland declared the strike a federal crime and forced the workers back to the assembly line. The employees also had to sign a pledge to never unionize.
The public was critical of President Cleveland's handling of the situation. His use of 12,000 troops to break the strike did not sit well with voters. Adding to the troubles is the fact that U.S. Deputy Marshals killed two protesters near Chicago. 1894 was an election year and Cleveland needed something to salvage his reelection hopes. Congress tried to help by quickly passing a bill recognizing Labor Day in hopes of appeasing the nation's workers. It did not work and Cleveland was not reelected.
Today the substance of the Labor Day celebration has changed. As a nation, our workforce has also changed. But it is important to recognize the workers who helped build this nation into the best on earth.
Information for this post compiled from PBS Online News Hour, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Did you know that on the federal level Labor Day was an attempt to gain votes for a troubled presidency?
Labor Day was first celebrated in 1882. A New York City labor union chose Tuesday September 5th as a day to celebrate the strength of labor unions. The initial proposal for the holiday described a parade followed by a festival setup for workers and their families. Other cities followed New York in setting aside the holiday, which moved from September 5th to the first Monday in September in 1884. Eventually state legislatures began setting aside the holiday, beginning with Oregon in 1887. A strike in 1893 would lead to federal recognition of the holiday.
In 1893 unions moved to help the workers of the Pullman rail car company. Pullman's workers lived in Pullman Illinois, a city setup by George Pullman president of the company. Rent for those who lived and worked in Pullman was deducted from their paychecks. However this became a problem when rail car orders declined due to a nation wide depression. The Pullman company lowered wages, but did not lower what it charged workers for rent.
The workers walked off the job protesting the squeeze being put on them by the Pullman company. The cause would gain the support of national labor unions who destroyed Pullman made sleeping cars in protest of the company's policies. Eventually President Grover Cleveland declared the strike a federal crime and forced the workers back to the assembly line. The employees also had to sign a pledge to never unionize.
The public was critical of President Cleveland's handling of the situation. His use of 12,000 troops to break the strike did not sit well with voters. Adding to the troubles is the fact that U.S. Deputy Marshals killed two protesters near Chicago. 1894 was an election year and Cleveland needed something to salvage his reelection hopes. Congress tried to help by quickly passing a bill recognizing Labor Day in hopes of appeasing the nation's workers. It did not work and Cleveland was not reelected.
Today the substance of the Labor Day celebration has changed. As a nation, our workforce has also changed. But it is important to recognize the workers who helped build this nation into the best on earth.
Information for this post compiled from PBS Online News Hour, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Labels: Labor Day, Labor Unions, President Grover Cleveland, Pullman Railcars, U.S. history
posted by Dennis | 6:30 PM
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