Happy Labor Day – Reporter Jude

Happy Labor Day, A Day to Recognize Workers

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Following the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, machines enabled laborers to work more efficiently, reducing the need for manual labor. This change led to a rise in the labor movement. Workers endured 12-hour days and low wages. These harsh conditions led to activism. Aldermen Matthew Maguire, a machinist and union leader, and Peter McGuire, a labor organizer, advocated for Labor Day and the 8-hour workday. The following describes how their efforts led to greater recognition of workers.

THE PROCESS

In the 1870s, labor activist Matthew Maguire led several strikes to draw public attention to the long hours of manufacturing workers. By 1882, he had become secretary and a leading figure in the Central Labor Union of New York, where he organized and represented workers.

According to legend, Peter McGuire, a labor leader, stood before the New York Central Labor Union on May 12, 1882, and suggested setting aside one day each year to honor labor. He believed Labor Day should be celebrated with a street parade to publicly show the strength and unity of trade and labor organizations.

THE PLAN

Peter McGuire was a young and well-respected union leader. As a child of immigrants, he left school early to work. In 1881, he founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and served as its first general secretary, guiding the organization to become the largest trade union of its time. Later, he joined forces with his friend Samuel Gompers, a leading figure in the cigar makers’ union, to found the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Through his leadership roles in both the AFL and the Carpenters, McGuire led the major strikes of 1886 and 1890, bringing the eight-hour workday to national attention.

THE PRODUCT

Numerous states recognized the holiday in the 1880s. It did not become an official national holiday until President Grover Cleveland signed it into law in June 28th, 1894.

Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom, Grover, the only President who married in the White House.

June 28, 1894, was the day former President Grover Cleveland signed the bill declaring Labor Day an official Holiday on the first Monday in September.