This Monday will mark 132 years since the first Labor Day, which was celebrated in New York on September 5, 1882. It was not until twelve years later, 1894, that the United States would make Labor Day an official federal holiday.
Labor Day has always been intended to celebrate the American worker, but it was enacted by Congress at the insistence of President Grover Cleveland in response to political pressure resulting from millions of dollars in damages and the loss of thirty lives during an unpopular strike originating in Chicago.
For the full story, read the Las Vegas Informer article:
Political Perspectives on the History of Labor Day
Zachariah B. Parry is an attorney and founding partner at the law firm H & P and is an adjunct professor who teaches torts, contracts, and Nevada practice and procedure for UNLV’s paralegal program. He can be reached at 702-912-4451.
