It’s interesting that we celebrate Labor Day in these United States every first Monday in September.
As I was looking back on the history of Labor Day I saw that there was a laborious struggle for it, too.
“In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages.
People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.
As manufacturing increasingly supplanted agriculture as the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay. Many of these events turned violent during this period…”
The narrative began in the 1800s, but sounds like 2021. It takes a lot to change people’s minds. So, rather than change their minds, laws must be changed. Sadly, it took 12 more years before Labor Day became a national holiday. Even as we celebrate this holiday, wages and work conditions are still insufficient. It’s funny in 2021 that some think $16.00/hr is too much to pay laborers. It’s barely a living wage.
So, as we gather on the first Monday of September in 2021 in this age of COVID-19, try to relax and be safe and enjoy your families with whatever kind of food and relaxation you are planning, because it won’t be long and the work week will begin; we’ll get up, get ready for work, make our way there and continue laboring for our families and ourselves. But whatever we do, let’s not forget that laboring for basic human rights continues. Happy Labor Day!
That’s how I see it. I’d love to read how you see it.
Online Reference: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/labor-day-1#section_1
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