LABOR DAY LEGISLATION
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
FOUNDER OF LABOR DAY
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
CEE’S ODD BALL PHOTO CHALLENGE – LABOR DAY EDITION
Though it has become another of America’s big backyard barbecue days, Labor Day celebrates the American worker and the labor movement. Of course, it also signals the official end of school vacation and the unofficial end of summer and the wearing of white — except that new fashion decrees we can wear white whenever we like. All you have to do is rename it Winter White and all will be well. Still, the white stiletto heels may still be a fashion no-no …
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Categories: American history, celebration, Gallery, Holidays, Photography, Work
Thanks for the short history lesson. We often forget what’s behind a holiday.
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My mother was a socialist, very committed to the labor movement. Garry was shop steward of his union for many years. The history comes with the territory.
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Hey, nice steps! 🙂 And I really think ANY stiletto heel should be shamed out of existence. Ouch!
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I have never been able to wear stiletto anything. At this point, I fall off little tiny blocky heels too. Flat is it for me.
They ARE nice steps and that they were built by otherwise lounge lizardy teenagers makes them all the more remarkable. That my son managed to organize and herd them into useful activity is prize-worthy.
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Such cool shots. I can see where you got the idea from my concrete guys. 🙂 Thanks for playing.
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The best part? Other then my son, the old guy who is supervising? They were TEENAGERS. Working! These may be museum quality shots because of their rarity!
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They did good work!
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Yes, they did. The steps are much better than the originals. Who’d have thunk it?
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