Happy Labor Day from Triangle Ready Mix!
Labor Day in the United States is a federal holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September. It honors and recognizes the American labor movement and the contributions of workers to the development and achievements of the country. The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882, in New York City. The event was organized by the Central Labor Union (CLU) and featured a parade of workers from various trades. The idea quickly caught on, and several states began adopting their own Labor Day celebrations. A pivotal moment in the establishment of Labor Day as a federal holiday was the Pullman Strike of 1894: The Pullman Strike was a significant event in U.S. history, occurring between May 11, 1894, and approximately July 20, 1894. It was a widespread railroad strike and boycott that severely disrupted rail traffic across the Midwest. The strike began in Chicago at the Pullman Company, where workers protested wage cuts and high rents in the company-owned town of Pullman. As the strike spread, it escalated into a national crisis, affecting the entire railroad system. The federal government's response to the unrest was unprecedented, marking the first time an injunction was used to break a strike. Federal troops were sent in to quell the protests, leading to violent clashes and the deaths of several workers. Amid this turmoil, on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland and Congress moved quickly to establish Labor Day as a national holiday. This act was seen as a conciliatory gesture toward the American labor movement, recognizing the contributions of workers and addressing the growing tensions between labor and the government.