09/01/2025
As you enjoy today's holiday, remember those who made it possible.
In 1882, when Labor Day was first celebrated, the average manufacturing worker toiled in a factory 60 hours a week. 1 in 5 children worked. Wages were low; there were no sick days, pensions or holidays. Conditions inside factories prioritized productivity over worker health and safety, and few industries or states tracked worker injuries or deaths. The average life expectancy was 39-46 years old.
Unions were formed so workers could mobilize and advocate for their rights. The organizers of the first Labor Day wanted to create an event that would bring together different types of workers to recognize their common interests, including decent wages, an eight-hour workday and the right to organize. They wanted to send a message that workers were critical to the industrializing economy and a force that could not be ignored by politicians.
While American workers have seen vast changes over the past 143 years, there are many reasons to be concerned this Labor Day. Recent firings at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the US’s top labor watchdog, show us that worker safety is far from safe in this country.
