Labor Day – Origins and Early History of the Peoples’ Holiday

The origins of the American Labor Day can be traced back to the Knights of Labor in the United States, and parades organized by them in 1882, first at Providence, Rhode Island on August 23, 1882, then at New York City on September 5, 1882. Beyond Labor’s Veil: The Culture of the Knights of Labor, Robert E Weir, 309 (Penn State University Press, University Park PA, 1996). A member of the Knights of Labor even coined the term "Labor Day:" Following the Providence parade of over 1,000 workers (including two divisions of the Knights of Labor) and the New York parade of over 10,000 marchers, Knights of Labor General Executive Board member Robert Price of Lonaconing, MD, agitated for a "Labor Day" amongst Welsh social clubs. Newspapers picked up the term and it stuck. Id.

Many historians and even the U.S. Department of Labor, fail to credit the Knights of Labor with starting Labor Day. Typically they credit, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, as being first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." P.J. McGuire had been a speaker at the August 23, 1882 Providence, Rhode Island parade and was present at the New York City parade on September 5, 1882, but was not a major organizer. Id. P.J. McGuire was active in the New York City Central Labor Union which was the public face for organizing the event, but which was interlocked with the Knights of Labor District Assembly No. 49 (DA 49) which operated in total secrecy. Id. They often point to "confusion" and note that some credit Matthew Maguire, a machinist, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., as having proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Matthew Maguire was a member of Knights of Labor District Assembly No. 49 (DA 49) and was in charge of the arrangements for the September 5, 1882 parade. Id.

Labor Day parades grew with each passing year, and pressure mounted for its adoption as an official holiday. In 1883 the New York parade, again organized by the Knights of Labor surpassed 20,000 marchers. Id. at 310. The following year, in addition to New York, parades were mounted in Buffalo, Cincinnati, Lynn, and Haverhill. Id. In 1885, Oregon became the first state to legislatively recognize this peoples holiday, proclaiming it to be the first Monday in September, a status not achieved in New York State until 1887: With or without state sanction, the labor movement was already treating the first Monday in September as a holiday from 1885. Id. at 309-310. It became a national holiday in 1887 after President Grover Cleveland threw his support to the Knights of Labor’s position that the official date should be the first Monday in September: Socialists and anarchists – including affiliates of the International Workingmen’s Association – had favored adoption of May 1st as the official holiday.

The first seven years of Labor Day celebrations were marked by solidarity within the labor movement: All unions marched together. However, in 1889 parochial attitudes began to win out over solidarity, reflecting the strife between the rapidly ascending Federation of Labor and the descendant Knights of Labor which the AFL sought to supplant. Id. at 312-313.

The US Dept of Labor notes on its website that "the vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known, and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership - the American worker." Yet, in the United States and Canada, Labor/Labour Day is generally regarded simply as a day of rest, and political demonstrations are rare. Forms of celebration traditionally include picnics, fireworks displays, water activities, and public art events. Yet, the character of Labor Day celebrations has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have largely disappeared. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are still given coverage by newspapers, TV and radio.

This changing face of Labor Day is evidenced in a 1984 interview with Marin County labor pioneer, Omar McNally, in which he reminisced about Labor Day in Marin: "Through all the early years of unionism up until he retired, labor Day was the big celebration day of the year for union members. ‘We always had big parades in all the towns – San Rafael, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sonoma – we’d try to get to them all. We’d spend all day, take our kids along.,’ McNally said. The members marched with their respective unions, and the Musicians Union provided bands. ‘Afterwards there were barbecues or picnics. These continued for quite a while after the parades stopped. Then they faded away, too," he said. Marin Independent Journal, September 3, 1984.

A mechanic by trade, in 1936 Omar McNally had joined the machinists union formed by Tiburon railroad machinists: At the time he had been earning 75 cents an hour, working six days a week, and was unpaid for down time if no work came into the garage. Id. Upon joining the Machinists Union, his wages rose to 90 cents an hour. Id. The Marin Labor Council was formed in 1937 and Omar became the secretary. In 1939, he was elected business representative for the mechanics and machinists in five North Bay Counties. He held this position until 1963 when he retired. Omar was also a member and past chairman of the Marin County Housing Authority. He also served as a trade advisor for the California state prisons' vocational program and once chaired the Marin County Redevelopment Authority. Omar received his 80 year membership pin from the Odd Fellows Marin Lodge 200, where he was the longest active member. He enjoyed his retirement until he passed away peacefully on May 25, 2002, 48 days shy of his 104th birthday: In his own words: "I’ve enjoyed retired life with a pension and health and welfare benefits, all the result of the union. I like to think that throughout industry, unions led the way in gaining these benefits." Marin Independent Journal, September 3, 1984. During that interview, McNally, "said he is afraid that now some of the benefits are being eroded. ‘There are cycles and people will have to get in and work again.’ He noted that some air controllers, the ones who replaced the union members that President Reagan fired, now are trying to unionize."

Unions - Mutual Aid Through Collective Bargaining

Railways and Railroad Fraternities

Other Marin County Labor Unions

Examples of Public Activities and Festivities of Organized Labor in Marin

Labor Day - Origins and Early History of the Peoples’ Holiday

Labor Day Activities in Marin County