Labor Day has many meanings for Americans: summer’s final weekend, back-to-school time, kickoff of the NFL season, the last day of the year to wear white or risk a fashion faux pas. But few people these days reflect on the labor aspect of Labor Day, and the holiday’s original purpose as a celebration of the workers who turned the country into an economic powerhouse.
First proposed by labor activists in the 1880s before being cemented into law by President Grover Cleveland in 1894, Labor Day came into being during a period of great change in how and where Americans worked. Technological innovations mechanized many jobs and centralized them in large urban factories; people flocked from rural areas of the country and abroad for opportunities available in American cities.
These positions, however, were often low-paying, with long hours (as much as 15-18 hour days) focused on single repetitive tasks, a far cry from the skilled craftspeople who had previously produced goods. These professional guilds transformed into large industrial unions pushing for, among other changes, higher wages, an end to child labor and a standard eight-hour workday. It took until FDR’s New Deal legislation in the 1930s that many of these policies became standardized for workers across the country.
You can find out more about the history of the Labor Movement through library resources like Infobase or books by local authors like Fight Like Hell by Kim Kelly.
The library is also equipped with tools to help modern job seekers. Check out below what resources we have to offer for the job hunt!
- Sign up for a tech class through our Programs & Events page to learn how to use programs such as Canva or Microsoft Excel.
- Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center lets you learn about different fields, work on cover letter writing and interview techniques, and even look through local job postings.
- Take advantage of our affordable printing services and free one-on-one help where library staff can assist with many technology or life-service issues.
- Brush up on how labor is changing in the age of Big Tech and how to bring about a better workplace.
Above all, remember not to take the Labor Movement for granted — and don’t forget your library is a powerful partner in your own career journey.
