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September 5, 2005
Labor Day
To most of us Labor Day marks the end of summer, back to school for the kids, and a nice day off. This is fine, for of all holidays this one was meant to be a day of rest. And although the idea for a "Labor Day" came from the labor union movement of the 19th century, is is a day meant for all people. As Samuel Gompers, founder and president of the American Federation of Labor put it
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."
So although its genesis was with the labor unions, Labor Day is not meant just for union members, bur for for all of us. The Department of Labor website goes on to say that
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
To be sure, you'll find plenty about the holiday on union websites, such as the AFL-CIO. And that is fine. Unions have a important place in American history. You don't have to believe everything Upton Sinclair wrote to think unions were important a hundred, or even fifty, years ago. No doubt most unions have outlived their usefulness. But we'll leave that discussion for another day.
As for today, take a rest.
Posted by Tom at September 5, 2005 9:51 AM
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Posted by: Tom at November 12, 2005 1:48 PM
