Hello Everyone,

First off, Happy Labor Day. I hope everyone is having a good day whether or not you are one of those who are fortunate to have it off or someone who has to unfortunately work today. But at least both groups can be appreciative that we have a job in this rough employment era.

I know many people will be Barbecuing and other fun stuff like that but some of us will simply take the time to relax and do nothing. Those are my plans but everything sometimes changes at the spur of the moment. We’ll see.

Labor Day History:

Labor Day was first officially established in North America in 1887. This was of course after years of individual states, provinces, or other regions of designation proposed it or started recognizing it. That means that certain states in the United States, like Oregon, were places that had the holiday before others adopted the idea of the proposal. The United States did not recognize it as an official holiday or a federal holiday until; 1894. That is also when they deemed the official date to be the first Monday in September

Many other countries have some sort of Labor, Labour Day, or International Workers Day around the world. But some even have a week or more that recognizes the ending of summer. In North America it is often viewed as the unofficial end of summer but since many schools start around this time and the weather begins to change it is recognized as this. The official end of summer is in fact between September 21-24 during the September Equinox or more commonly known as the Autumnal Equinox. This year that occurs on September 22 and marks the first day of autumn.

A few facts Labor to make it eerie:

Labor laws and other holidays like Labor Day where not originally established in most parts of the world for some time due to the fact that most laborers had little to no rights. This is because the lawmakers and many other organizations that regulated corporations and other businesses were partially if not fully owned by those corporate bosses and business owners. Sort of a controlled monopoly on the regulations and wages that a laborer had to succumb to.

Certain factors like the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911. Over a 140 employees of the factory died from smoke inhalation, or burns, or jumping from the high windows, during the fire because they were unable to escape the building.

Why?

Because the owners of the business felt that it was in their rights to lock and barricade the other doors in the building to prevent any of the workers leaving, sneaking off, or taking break and not working. They had break times back then but nothing that was enforced as a labor law. When the fire broke out blocking the only exit these employees were all doomed before they even had a chance to fight.

Thanks to labor laws today exits have to remain unlocked during business hours. Reforms set in motion after this incident was what helped lead to this being developed and I’m sure you all have read this sign at doors in businesses before. Now when we think about how far the Labor Laws have come in the so many years we need to sit back and appreciate it. They are set here for our safety.

To think that a national holiday was established before these types of safety procedures besets me but regardless I am happy we have them now and happy for the day off in recognition for the people who do labor for this great country.

Thank you all and enjoy your day.

Thanks for Reading,

Joshua Crane Dowidat