Labor Day--Not All is the Stuff of History Books

Many of us associate Labor Day with barbecues, last days at the beach, the start of school or department store sales. Until today, I hadn't given too much thought to the origins of Labor Day since fourth-grade history books. But I have had a nagging question. Why does the US celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September when other countries recognize May 1 as the international workers’ holiday? Labor Day was recognized as a federal holiday in 1894. The reason President Grover Cleveland selected September as opposed to May was to avoid association with the “radical roots in syndicalist labor history,” as pointed out by Jerry Elmer in an op-ed piece carried by Truthout.org. In France, the Fête du Travail (of May 1) commemorates the Chicago Haymarket Riots (the "radical roots" mentioned above) that began May 1, 1886, to bring about the eight-hour workday. It was a day of nationwide protests and strikes in which workers walked off their jobs, and in Chicago, police forces began shooting. Today, we're experiencing high rates of unemployment and underemployment. At the same time, corporate profits continue to increase. Will history books and department store sales enable future generations of fourth graders to have a better understanding of Labor Day. . . .Hummmm.