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for all unions. More than 10,000 union workers took unpaid time off work to march from City Hall to Union Square.
When did Labor Day become an official holiday?
Numerous states recognized the holiday in the 1880s, but it didn’t become an official national holiday until President Grover Cleveland signed it into law in June 1894.
Who was the founder of Labor Day?
The father of Labor Day could be one of two men: Peter J. McGuire, a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, 0r Matthew Maguire, secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York. Yep, our two leading contenders have almost-identical last names.
Both men were present at the nation’s first Labor Day parade in New York City, but recent studies are leaning more toward Maguire. In fact, the New Jersey Historical Society reports that after President Cleveland signed the legislation establishing Labor Day as a national holiday, the Paterson Morning Call published an editorial asserting that “the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday.” Based on this, it seems more likely that Maguire was the founder of Labor Day.
When was the first Labor Day parade?
The first Labor Day parade was held in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882. New York’s Central Labor Union held a parade to celebrate union work and show support
President Cleveland signed the law in the midst of the Pullman Strike, a railroad strike in which workers protested reduced wages and the non-reduction of rent in their living area. The walkout started in Chicago and quickly sparked a nationwide railroad strike, which turned deadly in July 1894 when the National Guard clashed with protesters in the Windy City.
What’s the difference between Labor Day and International Workers’ Day?
There are a few differences between Labor Day and International Workers’ Day, more commonly known as May Day. One difference is that, unlike Labor Day, May Day is celebrated on May 1 each year. Another is that Labor Day is celebrated only in the United States and Canada, while May Day is celebrated in European, Asian and Latin American countries (in more than 160 countries, to be more