Skip to main content

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day was created in the late 1800s to honor the contribution the American worker made to the strength and prosperity of this country.  Its intention was to gain favorable attention for the Labor Movement’s goals of fair wages and safe working conditions. 

Although there are examples of colonial workers striking as early as 1636, it wasn’t until 1842, 206 years later, that Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw ruled labor unions were legal (Commonwealth v. Hunt). For a nation built on the premise of democracy, labor collectives were suspiciously unwelcome in the burgeoning capitalist territory.  Prior to Hunt, combinations of workingmen to raise wages or shorten hours were considered conspiracy and therefore illegal, overwhelmingly resulting in convictions.

In 1886, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed as a conglomeration of trade unions, limiting its membership to wage earners.  It’s interesting to note that African Americans and women were excluded from the AFL.

From its inception, Labor Day featured parades, festivals, and beer, so it’s pretty clear as to how it evolved into the current iteration of, well, parties with beer.  Parades are expensive and take a lot of time away from celebrating and beer drinking, thus they were logically subtracted from the festivities.

It’s also become the recognized end of summer, in conjunction with cooler weather, shorter days, and kids going back to school.

Finally, since Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September, it was identified by retailers as a convenient opportunity to boost traditionally slow summer sales. With boldly signed end-of-season clearance merchandise and heavily advertising discounts, consumers are enticed to flock to the mall and enjoy their last weekend of summer by contributing generously to the economy. 

So obviously, not everyone has the luxury of a long weekend.  At malls, grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, police and fire departments, just to name a few, millions of people will be working hard to earn a living on Labor Day.  When you encounter them, be extra nice; they deserve it.

As for me, there’s absolutely no way my job could be considered “labor.”  Still, I’m incredibly lucky to be working for a company that’s giving me a long weekend.  I’ll hang out with my family, grill some hot dogs, maybe even go shopping, and definitely be grateful for an extra day to call my own.


Have a great Labor Day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The complexity of communication

com·mu·ni·ca·tion ( kə ˌ myo ͞ on ə ˈ k ā SH( ə )n/) noun - the imparting or exchanging of information or news Sounds simple, right?  And at its heart, sure, the concept of communication is simple.  You let me know something, I respond, repeat as necessary, and the expected result is that an idea has been shared to the satisfaction of both parties. But we’ve all had a misunderstanding or even an argument that illustrates darned well the complexity of communication.  Ever struggled to figure out why a fussy baby is crying? While you read this, do you know which words I’m emphasizing, if I’m trying to be funny, what I might be exaggerating, or when I’m completely sincere?    The words we say are just a small part of what we communicate.  Intent, mannerisms, and personal experience all influence purpose and perception.  We can communicate without saying a word (let me add that I am mightily jealous of anyone who can raise one eyebrow at a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Navigate A Casual Dress Code

In my first office job, women were required to wear skirts or dresses, preferably with high heels.  No pants allowed, hosiery mandatory, flats frowned upon.  Yes, I wore oversized blazers that had shoulder pads augmented by shoulder pads, with shiny blouses and long skirts. On my break, I switched my tasteful pumps for Reebok high tops for a quick power walk.  I will also confess, just between friends, to a big floppy bow tying back my poufy hair.  See that outfit on the left?  I had one almost exactly like it.  Many years later (and I think you can do the math based on the outfit), I sit at my desk in jeans, a t-shirt, a sweater and boots.  My feet don’t hurt, there are no pantyhose to run (back in those days, I always kept an extra pair in my desk for emergencies), and I don’t have dry cleaning bills to worry about.  I think I look OK.  Although I am dressed casually, my outfit is color-coordinated and (I hope) stylish.  And, ac...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reconnecting

Recently, someone important to me died.  I have two brothers, and they’re pretty good, as siblings go.   But having Dyana in my life was what I imagined it would be like to have a sister.  We lived together, went to school together, socialized together.  When my favorite blouse went missing, I knew I could find it in her closet (or her bedroom floor, whichever). Side by side, we shopped for prom dresses and learned to drive. After college, we slowly grew apart, and ultimately I made the difficult decision that being her friend wasn’t healthy for me.  But I never stopped loving her or the relationship that we once had.  Because she was frequently in my thoughts, I occasionally stalked her on Facebook and asked mutual friends what she was up to. What none of this subterfuge told me, though, was that she was sick.  On July 6 of this year, she passed away from an extended illness.  Strangely, I had just made the decision to reach out to ...
Post a Comment
Read more