Dcn Tom Lindell

My Brothers and Sisters,

Today is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer marked by the annual return to school on the following Tuesday. Traditionally, it also marked the last time that it was acceptable for men to wear white or seersucker; it was time to switch to fall colors and wear. In my home state of Minnesota, Labor Day marks the end of the State Fair, another traditional passage. Better yet, football season begins! The National Football League usually begins its season on the Thursday after Labor Day.

Try as I might, I was unable to find any suitable reference to work in the lectionaries for today so let us review the history of this traditional workers’ holiday.

In the late 19th century, labor movements and trade unions were flourishing and inviting notions of celebrating a separate holiday for the working force. At the General Assembly of the Knights of Labor, a clandestine gathering, a public parade was proposed so numerous labor organizations would be recognized. It was held on September 5, 1882.

Subsequently the secretary of the Central Labor Union, Matthew Maguire, proposed that a Labor Day holiday be held on the first Monday each September. Not to be outdone, P. J. McGuire, Vice President of the American Federation of Labor, also proposed that a day be set aside to honor the laboring classes. He based his proposal after visiting Toronto earlier in May where workers held a parade.

McGuire also proposed that the first Monday in September be designated for a public celebration. He suggested that the event begin with a street parade demonstrating solidarity and strength of the labor movement followed by a picnic featuring prominent speakers of the movements. The optimal weather was cited as a plus as well as its timing would be midway between July 4 and Thanksgiving public holidays. While some states celebrated the holiday, it did not become an official federal holiday until 1894 after the Pullman strike paralyzed the railroad industry in the Midwest between May and July.

Trade unions, by virtue of strikes, became a powerful voice for the working classes in unions. Unions had remarkable influences on working conditions, hours worked each week, and ultimately benefits to workers. Some politicians argued that unions had become too powerful and outlived their usefulness. As a result, union membership declined for many years, but are regaining their strength today by stressing fairness and equity. However, labor and management continue to have communication problems that they struggle to resolve.

The bottom line is always money. Management feels the need to uphold the value of stock for the investors and labor continues to seek appropriate compensation and benefits.

I think I know which side Jesus would be on…

—Dcn Tom