Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Labor Day
The first Labor Day originated from 1870s-era labor disputes in Toronto, Ontario. In 1872, a parade was held in support of a strike for a 58-hour workweek. 24 leaders of the union who organized the parade were arrested under anti-union laws.
The first state to make Labor Day a state holiday was Oregon, which passed the necessary law in February of 1887.
We might all be used to working eight-hour workdays for five days a week, but when the first Labor Day holidays were celebrated, twelve-hour days were quite common. The first Labor Day rally, held on a Tuesday, was to gain support for an eight-hour workday.
The first state to make Labor Day a state holiday was Oregon, which passed the necessary law in February of 1887.
We might all be used to working eight-hour workdays for five days a week, but when the first Labor Day holidays were celebrated, twelve-hour days were quite common. The first Labor Day rally, held on a Tuesday, was to gain support for an eight-hour workday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
