Labor Day 2021 – what is it and how is the weekend celebrated in the US?
AMERICANS will enjoy their time off from work on Labor Day barbecuing and vacationing as the summer comes to a close.
The day became a national holiday in 1894 when the government granted laborers a day of rest to honor the working class.
What is Labor Day?
Labor Day is a national holiday in the celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor the American working class.
It originated during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, when Americans worked roughly 12-hour days with little pay and poor working conditions.
Labor laws weren't really established at the time, so children also worked in factories to help their families make ends meet.
Growing concerns about the squalid conditions led to the creation of labor unions, which protested to demand laws that protected workers.
’s Central Labor Union organized the event, later known as America’s first unofficial Labor Day parade.
Three years later, other cities and states began to recognize Labor Day as a holiday, but it still wasn't nationally celebrated.
What happened in the Labor Day strikes?
In May of 1984, a major strike rattled a small town in founded by George Pullman, an engineer and industrialist who created the railroad sleeping car.
Workers took pay cuts and 4,000 Pullman employees staged a strike that pinned the American Railway Union against the Pullman Company and the federal government.
The strike and boycotts against trains triggered a nationwide transportation problem for freight and passenger traffic.
The boycott involved roughly 250,000 workers in more than 25 states.
June 28, 1894, marked the first official Labor Day holiday in the US.
How do people celebrate Labor Day?
Since Labor Day is a federal holiday, most offices and government establishments grant their employees the day off.
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Many people take a weekend vacation to a town, celebrate by the beach, or grill and have a picnic to enjoy the last few days of summer.
Due to the lingering pandemic, many people will be forced to tweak or completely halt their travel plans due to ongoing restrictions.