Hey Johnny, It's Labor Day...

On your extra day off from work, and while you’re flipping burgers, drinking tasty microbrew and having some end-of-summer fun, take a minute to reflect on why and how Labor Day became a National Holiday.

Now, a quick check of our Nation’s Department of Labor website says: Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It’s a tribute to the contributions American workers have made to the prosperity, strength and well-being of our country.

That makes me warm and fuzzy, but how did it become a holiday? Surely there’s some drama.

Well yes, Johnny, yes there is.

The late 1800’s were the height of our Industrial Revolution. An amazing time, but unfortunately it was resulting in very crappy working conditions. Although working conditions had been very bad even building up to this, many more people were in the labor force and workers still labored 12-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, often in very dangerous and very unhealthy situations.

These conditions also employed children, reportedly as young as 5 or 6, toiling away in mines, mills and factories for much lower wages than adults.

Workers unions became more prevalent to try to combat these awful conditions. Festivals, rallies and strikes became common. Some became violent, including the Haymarket Riot of 1886, and later, the American Railroad Union strike leading to rioting in May of 1894. Both of which led to many deaths.

One of these events however is credited as giving rise to our modern celebrated Labor Day.

Organized by the Central Labor Union, an enormous festival, consisting of the parade of unions and massive picnic, took place in New York City’s Wendel’s Elm Park on September 5^th, 1882.

20,000 tickets were sold for the event and 10,000 union members marched in the parade to the location that day. It was a day of the people, decorated in flags of many nations, where everyone picnicked, drank beer, listened to speeches, watched fireworks and danced.

Over time, legalized celebrations of Labor Day were adopted by individual states. Then, on June 28, 1884, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September the legal holiday of Labor Day.

Unfortunately, it was many more years before workers saw real reform.

Finally, in 1938, laws were enacted that resulted in our current 8-hours-a-day, 5-days-a-week work week, and the passing of child labor laws. We in the U.S. are now afforded protections, but we should never forget it’s not the same in all countries and many children and adults still suffer elsewhere.

We, at Trophy Award Co, celebrate all those who stood strong to achieve the rights of workers and we thank every person who, through hard work, innovation and dedication every working day, make Our Country prosperous and strong.

If you’d like to show your appreciation for those who work hard and achieve great things for your company, here are some of our favorite choices…