History of Labor Day and Why the NALC Marches On It

The first Monday in September our branch turns out for the Labor Day parade. It's a good time but it also comes with some history and a similar fight that started our union. 

Where Labor Day Came From

On September 5, 1882 roughly 10,000 workers in New York City walked off the job to march from City Hall to Union Square. Organized by the Central Labor Union, this march became known as the first “workingman’s holiday”. Starting at a moment  when 12 hour work days, six to seven-day work weeks, and unsafe working conditions were the norm of US workers. President Grover Cleveland made it official on June 28, 1894 signing Labor Day into law as a federal holiday. This happened just weeks after federal troops had violently broken up the Pullman Strike in Chicago, leaving more than a dozen workers dead. 

Where NALC Fits In 

Letter carriers were living that same fight. In the late 1800s, carriers routinely worked 10-12 hour days, six to seven days a week, with little recourse to push back. Till 1888, the broader labor movement won a landmark victory with the passage of the Eight Hour Law. A year later, sixty letter carriers from eighteen states gathered in Milwaukee and formed the NALC.

Why It still Matters

Labor Day isn’t just a day off. It's a marker of what organized workers had to fight for, the eight hour work day, safer conditions, and a voice at the table. When our branch marches in the parade we’re not just marking a holiday on the calendar, it's continuing a tradition that started with workers standing up and walking off the job to demand better.