History of Labor Day; Are You Working Today?

Did you punch in today? Have you ever had to use a time clock? I have at several jobs. Did you ever join a union?

Union labor is a big part of the history of today's holiday. While many are enjoying a day off, traveling or cooking on the BBQ, most people don't know the real reason we celebrate Labor Day.

During the late 1800s, labor leaders decided that hardworking Americans deserved a holiday of their own. After 1894’s monumental Pullman Railroad strike, Congress decided to federalize this holiday.

The Pullman strike had such wide-ranging implications that less than a week after it ended, then-President Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law.

Considering that both U.S. soldiers and federal law enforcement officers killed a number of strikers, this was the least that he could do.

Prior to the organization of labor unions, blue collar workers were subject to gruesome employment. Their jobs in the mines, in the factories, or under the burning sun left them exposed to considerable danger and there was no minimum wage.

Are you working today? Let us know as we celebrate the workers today, we're working hard to provide you with the soundtrack to your holiday.