today we’re taking a deep dive into the fascinating history of Labor Day so grab a hot dog and a cold drink because we’re about to embark on a Journey Through Time exploring the struggles triumphs and Legacy of the American labor movement I’m your host Evan and this is the first episode of my new series Deep dive let’s start at the beginning imagine a time where there’s no weekends no minimum wage and certainly no such thing as overtime pay part of believe right but this was the reality for many American workers in the late 19th century the Industrial Revolution was in full swing and while it brought incredible technological advancements it also brought harsh working conditions for millions of people picture this it’s 1880 and you’re working in a factory you’re on your feet for 12 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week the air is thick with cold dust the machines are definitely loud and there are no safety measures in place oh and did I mention you’re also 10 years old this was the Grim reality for many children during this era but people people weren’t going to accept these conditions forever workers began to organize forming labor unions to fight for better treatment one of the earliest and most influential unions was the kns of Labor founded in 1869 they had a vision of uniting all workers regardless of skill level race or gender a pretty revolutionary idea for his time now let’s fast forward to 1882 on September 5th of that year something extraordinary happened in New York City around 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square this wasn’t just a parade it was a protest to demand for better working conditions and a celebration of the contributions of American workers this event is widely considered to be the first Labor Day Parade in the United States the idea caught on like wildfire other cities started holding their own Labor Day Celebrations and workers began pushing for it to become an official holiday Oregon was one of the first states to make a Labor Day a public holiday in 1887 but here’s where things get really interesting in 1894 something happened that would change the course of Labor Day history forever the Pullman Strike the pman company which manufactured luxury railroad cars had cut wages but not rent in its company-owned town this led to a massive strike that spread across the country crippling railroad traffic president Grover Cleveland sent federal troops to break the strike leading to violence and the deaths of more than a dozen workers as you can imagine the public was absolutely outraged President Cleveland realizing he needed to make amends with organized labor pushed Congress to make Labor Day a federal holiday and so on June 28th 1894 Labor Day became an official national holiday now you might be wondering why do they pick the end of summer and not May 1st which is celebrated as International workers day in many countries well that’s a great question May 1st also known as Mayday commemorates the Hay Market Affair of 1886 in Chicago where a peaceful rally for an 8-h hour workday turn violent President Cleveland and others worried that a Labor Day on May 1st would encourage the commemoration of the Hay Market Affair and potentially strengthen socialist and Anarchist movements here in the United States hey if you’re enjoying this video make sure you hit that like button subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell all right let’s get back to the history of Labor Day in the early 20th century we saw some major victories for workers rights in 1911 after a tragic Triangle shirt waste factory fire in New York City that killed 146 workers new safety regulations were put in place in 1916 The Adamson Act established an 8-hour work day for railroad workers which later became the standard across Industries here in the United States during the Great Depression of the 1930s workers rights took center stage yet again President Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal brought significant changes the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 also known as the Wagner Act guaranteed private sector employees the right to to form labor unions and engage in collective bargaining the fair labor standards Act of 1938 established a national minimum wage and ban child labor but progress wasn’t always smooth in the post World War II era there was a backlash against unions the Taff heartley Act of 1947 restricted the power and activities of labor unions despite this unions continued to play a crucial role in shaping American labor laws and working conditions now let’s talk about some of the specific achievements of the labor movement that we often take for granted the 40-hour work week before labor unions 60-hour work weeks were common the fight for a 40-hour week was a long one culminating in the Fair Labor Standard Act of 1938 the weekend you can thank the labor movement for your Saturdays and Sundays off the push for a 5-day Work Week gain momentum in the early 20th century with Henry Ford being one of the first major employers to adopt it in 1926 PTO the first paid vacation SL pay time off in the United States were offered by a few labor unions in the 1930s today while the US doesn’t mandate paid vacations by law most full-time employees receive this benefit thanks to collective bargaining agreement rements and competitive labor practices the concept of paid sick leave is relatively recent San Francisco became the first US city to mandate paid sick leave in7 and today many states have similar laws workplace safety regulations the occupational safety and health Act of 1970 created OSHA to ensure safe and healthy working conditions employer sponsored health coverage during World War II wage freezes led to companies offering health insurance as a way to attract workers labor e has played a crucial role in expanding and maintaining these benefits now you might be thinking Okay evan this is all interesting history but what does Labor Day mean today well that’s a great question while Labor Day has become synonymous with barbecue sales and The Unofficial end of summer its core purpose Remains the Same to celebrate the achievements of American workers and the labor movement today the American Workforce looks very different from what it did in 1894 we’ve seen the rise of the gig economy remote work and automation new challenges have emerged like ensuring fair treatment for contract workers addressing wage stagnation and adapting to technological changes in the workplace labor un while not as prominent as they once were continue to play an important role in 2021 we saw the Resurgence of Labor activism with high-profile strikes to companies like John Deere and kellock and unionization efforts at Amazon and Starbucks the covid-19 pandemic has also brought labor issues to the Forefront highlighting the appor of essential workers and sparking discussions about workplace safety paid sick leave and work life balance as we celebrate Labor Day it’s important to remember the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before us the rights and benefits we enjoy today from the weekend to workplace safety standards didn’t just happen they were fought for by ordinary people who believed in the Dignity of work and the right to fair treatment but the story of Labor in America is far from over as our economy and Society continue to evolve so too will the challenges and opportunities facing American workers the gig economy Automation and artificial intelligence these are just some of the factors shaping the future of work so the next time Labor Day rolls around take a moment to reflect on its Rich history remember that behind the barbecues and sales lies a story of struggle progress and the ongoing fight for workers rights and here’s a question I have for you what do you think the future of work will look like how can we ensure the rights and dignities of workers are protected in this everchanging atonment thank you for joining me on this journey through the history of Labor I hope you gained a new appreciation for this holiday and the labor movement that made it possible I also want to thank the Baltimore Museum of Industry for allowing me to film the special episode inside their amazing Museum if you’re ever in Baltimore make sure you stop by and check this place out I put all their information in the description box below don’t forget to click that like button subscribe and hit the notification Bell I’m Evan and remember knowledge is power and understanding our history is the key to shaping our future
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