Today is Monday, Labor Day. For many people it signals the end of summer. Kids are back in school, family schedules become more normal and as the vacation season ends, resort towns like McCall and its neighbors Donnelly and New Meadows empty out as the tourists return to their life elsewhere. It’s been busier than I’ve seen in many years. Many locals exhale not so quiet sighs of relief that the summer traffic on the streets and crowds in shops and restaurants are less crazy making. One can make left hand turns from side streets again! In fact, that’s become a favorite local saying.

Labor Day is a federal holiday and the three day weekend is often celebrated with parades, “show and shine” classic car shows, craft fairs and of course, park barbecues, picnics and home made pie sales. Come through my town sometime this weekend for it’s a taste of Americana straight out of Norman Rockwell! However, there is more to this federal holiday than meets the eye. In fact, people might be surprised at its origin. Although I had an inkling about Labor Day’s origins, I did a little Internet research.

Labor Day arose out of the labor and union movements of the late 19th century. With the rise of industrialization and the increasing demands on the work force to work longer and longer, small independent unions formed to protect the rights of workers who often had to work 70-80 hours weeks under terrible conditions. However, there was no centralized organization or “union” for common goals. This period of unionization was a turbulent time often marked by violent demonstrations such as the “Haymarket Affair” in Chicago in 1894 in which Pinkerton agents and federal troops were sent against striking railways workers.

On September 5, 1882 an unauthorized meeting of the Knights of Labor met in New York’s Union Square, and a parade was held to bring various labor groups together and call the public’s attention to their goals. Some sources cite up to 25,000 marchers joined the parade through lower Manhattan for worker’s rights. It was also followed by family picnics and fireworks in the parks. These are the traditions which Americans still follow, especially in rural areas like ours. The first Monday in September was chosen as being halfway between July 4th and Thanksgiving, which were public holidays. In 1887 Oregon was the first state to officially recognize Labor Day as a holiday with 30 states following. However, the holiday only allowed federal workers to have the day off. It became a legal federal holiday on June 28, 1894 under Grover Cleveland in the middle of the Chicago demonstration so as not to lose the “workers’ votes. Labor Day is sometimes confused with May 1, “May Day,” the international workers holiday recognized in 66 countries. Early Labor Day supporters wanted to disassociate from the more anarchistic, radical methods of May Day, such as the bloody strike in Chicago.

Given the history of Labor Day, it’s more than a little ironic that so many people are not free to celebrate. I think of my daughter who works in a local restaurant for minimum wage as a cashier. It would be unthinkable for her not to show up to work. I think of her husband, a line cook at another restaurant who’s had to close the kitchen every night and doesn’t get home ‘till after midnight, often to be back at work in less than 8 hours. I think of my friend Paola and her team of pie makers at our senior center and all the work involved to bless the community. I think of all our local servers, housekeepers, maids, shop keepers and retail employees, police officers, first responders and hospital workers who are the backbone of resort communities – and keep on doing their jobs so that others can have a day to celebrate. We owe them a great big hug of gratitude. To all of them, thank you. May God bless the work of your hands!