Students will be off Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day. Students will return on a collaboration bell schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 3.  Labor Day, also known as “Workingman’s Holiday,” is a historic holiday. 

According to history.com, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It began in the late 1800s when people of all ages were working in factories. Less fortunate people were forced to work in terrible conditions. Labor unions began to grow more prominent and vocal. They organized strikes to protest the poor conditions they worked in, and force employers to rethink hours and pay. 

Working conditions led to more strikes, and 10,000 workers did not arrive at work on Sept. 5, 1882, but instead marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. This became known as the first Labor Day Parade in history. As the situation progressed, many of the events turned violent. In 1886, in the Haymarket Riot, many policemen and workers were killed. 

These strikes led to the idea of a “Workingman’s Holiday” to be held on the first Monday in September to “repair ties with American workers.” The idea eventually caught on all over the country, and a few states started to pass legislation to allow employees the day off. Twelve years later, on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law, and the holiday was legalized by Congress.