.JPG "Sept. 2, 2000: Sue Lucas (right) of Euless and her friend Lindy Anderson of Grand Praire cheer for Morris Price Band at the city of Bedford Labor Day Bluesfest.")
Sept. 2, 2000: Sue Lucas (right) of Euless and her friend Lindy Anderson of Grand Praire cheer for Morris Price Band at the city of Bedford Labor Day Bluesfest.
Khampha Bouaphanh
STAR-TELEGRAM
Fort Worth
Labor Day has been a holiday for over a century.
This year’s iteration will be on Monday, Sept. 7. For many, the day will be for rest and relaxation, and also serve as the unofficial end of summer.
But why is Labor Day celebrated as a holiday? And how did it get started? Here’s what to know.
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Why is Labor Day celebrated?
Labor Day is an “annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The holiday’s roots can be traced back to the late 19th century, when labor activists lobbied for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers made to the country’s strength and well-being.
How did Labor Day start?
Two men have made claims about being the founder of Labor Day.
In 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, mentioned setting aside a day to honor the laboring classes, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
That same year, Matthew Maguire, secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Patterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday while serving with the Central Labor Union in New York.
Not long after President Grover Cleveland signed the law making Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that “the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday.”
While it’s still unclear who the founder is, both Maguire and McGuire attended the first Labor Day parade in New York City in 1894.
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Brayden Garcia is the entertainment reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he mainly writes about how the film and TV industry impacts North Texas, from Taylor Sheridan shows to the Fort Worth Film Commission and everything in between.