We had Monday, September 2, 2024 off. Well, some of us did. But for those who did get the day off do we know why?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day celebrates the “social and economic achievements of American workers.” The origins of the holiday go back to the labor movement in the late 1800’s and became a federal holiday in 1894. The Industrial Revolution saw inventions from overseas that moved to the United States and transformed the nation from an agrarian-rural society to industrialized-urban areas. These inventions moved production from handmade items to mass produced products which in turn sparked business and increased profits. This growth came with a price. History.com states that the average American during this time worked 12 hours days, 7 days a week just to cobble enough money together to survive. Child labor was more the normal course of business rather than a rarity. Children were preferred workers sometimes because of their small size and being less likely to form unions. Loss of fingers and limbs, and scarring were commonplace for these children who scrambled around large machinery to fix a problem. Some children even younger than 14 worked in the mines and at times actually working their fingers to the bone to break up coal.
The long hours, poor pay, very unsafe and unsanitary working conditions were quite literally fuel to the flame of the Labor Movement. In 1911 the Triangle Waist Company garment factory caught fire and spread around the factory killing 146 workers. “The building had only one fire escape, which collapsed during the rescue effort. Long tables and bulky machines trapped many of the victims. Panicked workers were crushed as they struggled with doors that were locked by managers to prevent theft, or doors that opened the wrong way. Only a few buckets of water were on hand to douse the flames. Outside, firefighters’ ladders were too short to reach the top floors and ineffective safety nets ripped like paper,” as recounted by osha.gov. These conditions caused the growth of the labor movements and with it, labor unions to protect the worker during this time. The Knights of Labor was the first bonafide labor union fighting for worker’s rights.
Now we enjoy tremendously better working conditions by comparison and on Labor Day we celebrate the American worker and their contributions to America.
