The first celebrated Labor Day was on September 5th in New York City in 1882; however, Labor Day wasn’t made into a national holiday until a labor union strike. It came about with the Pullman Strike in Chicago on May 11, 1894.
Pullman Palace Car Company workers walked out due to reduction in wages. Considering trains were the major means of transportation in the late 1800’s as Industrialization was in full swing, having a train strike crippled the nation despite the strike only occurring in Chicago.
Conflict between the labor unions and railroads caused such an upheaval of commerce, that President Grover Cleveland fearing the worse was yet to come, pushed legislation through Congress to have the first Monday in September as a federal holiday. Congress signed it unanimously making it law only six days after the end of the strike.
What Labor Day means to us today has probably changed from those first celebrated days in the late 1800’s. I’m uncertain how many of us actually know the meaning behind the day, but today is the last break before the full swing of fall enters the scene. The day is like an annual signal that the fun-filled days of summer is coming to an end. It’s the last hurrah before the weather turns colder. But more than anything else, it’s a time to be with family and friends, to relax and enjoy the day being happy and thankful with what you have.