Let’s not fool ourselves in thinking that Labor Day was created as anything but a sop to Labor Unions from a Democrat President that had just broken a strike and needed to kiss some major union butt.
Labor Day was created to celebrate “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.” An actual historical debate has gone for years over who really pushed for Labor Day, the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, the American Federation of Labor or International Association of Machinists.
6 days prior to making “Labor Day” a national holiday, President Grover Cleveland sent federal troops to break a railroad strike. Major sops required.
So, pat a union worker on the back today! The rest of us who labor without Labor must not count, I guess.
