What Labor Day means to NYC
Long before Labor Day became the nation's last hurrah of summer, the holiday served as the first celebration of the American workforce.
The annual observance traces its U.S. roots to September 1882 in New York City, although — somewhat appropriately — there's a labor dispute over its creator.
For decades, the man who got credit for conjuring the concept was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
McGuire proposed a holiday praising America's working class, the people “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” His efforts were deemed critical in winning an eight-hour workday for U.S. employees.
Subsequent research indicated that it was actually the Association of Machinists' Matthew Maguire who suggested the first event while secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. The reluctance of union leaders to acknowledge Maguire's involvement was perhaps tied to his “radical” ideas about 19th century labor, including his role in several strikes.
Either way, there's no disputing the first organized celebration was a success. A crowd of as many as 20,000 workers assembled at City Hall before marching uptown through Union Square to 42nd St. The celebration continued with a picnic, concert and speeches.
This year's parade will step off from Fifth Ave. and 44th St. at 10 a.m. Saturday.
There was one small glitch: The event was held on a Tuesday, and the participating workers surrendered a day's wages to attend. Rather than a day for leisure, Labor Day was conceived as a way to strengthen America's unions and recruit new members while lobbying for better working conditions.
The New York event soon spread elsewhere, with Oregon becoming the first state to officially recognize Labor Day as a holiday in 1887 and 32 other states following suit over the next seven years.
When President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day as a national holiday in June 1894, the date was officially moved to the first Monday in September.
Oddly enough, the American holiday's roots extend into Canada. In December 1872, Canadian workers organized a parade to support a strike by the Toronto Typographical Union — whose members were working a 58-hour week. The march became an annual event in the Great White North.