From construction and manufacturing to agriculture, education, and healthcare, American workers have shaped our communities and powered our nation forward for generations. Among them, immigrants have played an especially vital role, often taking on essential and dangerous frontline roles, ensuring the nation’s prosperity. They are builders, caregivers, innovators, and problem-solvers..
This Labor Day, we pause to recognize and honor the social and economic achievements of workers across all industries and backgrounds. Their labor is not only the backbone of our economy but also a powerful testament to the values of resilience, opportunity, and the American dream.
Push for Recognition
This Monday, September 1, we celebrate Labor Day, the annual federal holiday recognizing the social and economic achievements of American workers. Many mark the day with cookouts, picnics, and time spent with loved ones. It’s also seen as the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.
Labor Day is one of eleven Federal Holidays recognized by the United States Government, giving non-essential government employees the day off and closing most government offices, such as post offices. Many private companies and businesses are also closed and give employees the day off or pay overtime to those who do work.
The labor movement created Labor Day in the late 19th century in response to the poor treatment of workers during the Industrial Revolution. At that time, the average American worked 12-hour days, seven days a week, in often unsafe and unsanitary working conditions for a basic living. Children as young as 5 or 6 worked in mills, factories, and mines across the country.
On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. Many states passed legislation recognizing a “Workingman’s holiday.” Oregon was the first, followed by Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. The federal government finally legalized the holiday 12 years later, in 1894.
The push for fair labor standards, safety, and pay continues today as workers, especially healthcare workers on the frontlines, face new challenges. To all our dedicated healthcare professionals: thank you for your tireless commitment and compassion. We hope you take a well-deserved break this Labor Day. You’ve earned it!
Deep Dive
Cesar Chavez, Mother Jones, Peter J. McGuire, Matthew Maguire, and Dolores Huerta are just a few of Labor’s heroes.
Want to learn more about those who fought for better labor conditions and workers’ rights? Explore the U.S. Department of Labor Hall of Honor, which celebrates individuals and groups whose contributions have significantly improved the lives of working people across the nation.
Notable inductees include the The Essential Workers of the Coronavirus Pandemic, honoring the healthcare professionals, many of them immigrants, who served bravely during an unprecedented global crisis. The Hall also recognizes the Filipino Labor Leaders of the Delano Grape Strike, whose courageous efforts helped launch a successful movement against unfair labor practices in the vineyards of California and paved the way for the formation of the United Farm Workers