Found this on the Dept of Labor website.
The History of Labor Day
Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Labor Day Legislation
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
A Nationwide Holiday
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
January,
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious.
Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at
people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to
criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart,
neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep
thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet
unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved.
Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but
prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties
expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has
great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very
Stubborn and money cautious.
What does your birth month reveal about you? (read memo)
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I can agree with about 90% of this..... "Neat and Organized"? I usually have a general idea of which pile something is buried in when I'm looking for something... "Likes to criticize"? Not usually - I just find myself doing that without thinking. Most of the time I keep it to myself anyway..."Knows how to make others happy"? Sometimes. I just wish I could make myself happy more often.
Your theme song Like toy soliders - by Eminem
::nice<3::
Your personality is very protective, but ur the
head of ur crew. u watch ur peeps close so
nothing
happens to them you're friends are basicaly are
your family n u dont want your family hurt....
your a strong soilder!!
Whats you're theme song
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Spent yesterday afternoon over at the Brother-in-law's house. I felt invisble over there as we sat around and watched TV. "Ivanhoe" was on AMC, which was good and PBS had a production of "Kiss Me, Kate", which I almost fell asleep on the couch during. I could have stayed home and done that and felt the same when the day was over. Maybe I really AM not here? Am I a figment of my own sick imagination? I think I could have imagined better than this if such was the case.... Great - something else to ponder today.
Mr Bush has decided to nominate John Roberts as the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. [RIP William Rehnquist]. Please, let him choose someone a little more Moderate next time. I don't like my court leaning too much in either direction.
Anyway, I'll be with parents & brother today unless something changes.
Kurt I.M.'d me yesterday - another of the people I know who doesn't have much to do with me unless he wants something - He wants me to help him move next Friday. He's moving from Phoenix to Mesa. Gosh, I just loooove having a truck!
Until later. Best wishes to all.....
Owl
Take the quiz: "What Kind of Soul Do You Retain?"
Free
You have an open heart and open mind and you chose not to let anyone get to you and the way you want to live.
Cool.
I feel like writing something, but can't think of anything.....darn it!
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