September 11, 2016

By Jessie Staley

As Labor Day passed this week, I found myself thinking about why we have it at all. Labor Day is not only a day off of school and work. Labor Day is a legitimate federal holiday for the little things we do everyday. It is a day to commemorate the efforts of the past and present working class. It is important because the working class is the cornerstone of our nation’s past, present and future, and they must be recognized for their efforts.

When I think of Labor Day, I think of sunshine, barbecue, swimming and family. These are all good things, but that’s not the point. The point is that Labor Day is for us, Americans, to take a break from the strenuous work in our lives, whether it be school or employment. Labor Day is the United States’ way of showing respect and thanking you, members of the workforce, for your contribution to society.

It is really a thoughtful gesture when you get down to it. It is not a holiday built off of false historical information or distant religious pretenses such as Columbus Day or Valentine’s Day. It was built off of the efforts of our forefathers.

It was also founded early on in American history. The labor movement pushed for a day of recognition back in the mid-1880s. Oregon was the first state to establish a law recognizing Labor Day in 1887 and created a trend for other state legislation. Finally, on June 28, 1894, Congress passed legislation to make the first Monday of September a national holiday to recognize American workers.

Countries across the globe have days to recognize their working class. Canada and Australia celebrate Labor Day with the U.S., but most other countries celebrate a similar holiday on May 1, popularly known as May Day.

All over the world, people are being recognized for their effort on a grand scale. Labor Day is a day when the government says, “thank you for your service and take care.” And why shouldn’t we have a day of gratitude to the working class? Thank you, Uncle Sam, for your consideration.