As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.
On September 7 we will celebrate Labor Day (“LD”). As we all know, the holiday has traditionally been celebrated on the first Monday of September. It is a federal holiday to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the US economy. It is celebrated in various forms and at various dates in approximately 80 countries.
To most Americans LD merely symbolizes the unofficial end of summer and the impending beginning of the school year. They enjoy the three-day weekend off from work. They spend the day with family and/or friends. They enjoy picnics, parades, vacations, shopping, baseball games and other sports activities, and barbecues. They lament, but grudgingly accept, holiday traffic and long lines at airports.
According to multiple sources more people will be flying this year than in prior years. The TSA expects up to 17.5 million travelers nationwide over the Labor Day 2026 holiday travel period. More bad news, airfare is up 23% compared to last year. Saavy air travelers know that there are certain conditions they can control. For example, flying on the “right” day is the number one factor in controlling prices and crowds. Also, one can find bargains by flying economy, and/or by choosing a flight with stops. Moreover, it might pay to rent a car in lieu of flying. Those rates are down about 9% compared to last year.
AAA advises that the worst days to travel on the roads will be the Thursday and Friday before the weekend particularly in the afternoons and evenings as holiday travelers conjoin with commuters. For returning travelers Monday is expected to be the worst travel day. To avoid the heaviest traffic, drive before the afternoon rush on Thursday and Friday, and on Saturday or Sunday. Astute travelers know to hit the roads either early in the morning or in the evening to mitigate problems. Use your GPS to mitigate or avoid unforeseen problems. As always, adverse weather and/or accidents could easily cause further complications, disruptions, and delays.
This year, the cost of domestic air travel will be up some 20%; domestic hotel prices will be 9% higher; and the price of gas at the pump is expected to remain high. In fact, this year could be the first time in history that gas averages over $4 on Labor Day.
Midst all this gloom and doom there is some good news. Major retailers will be running end-of-summer and holiday weekend sales on products such as appliances, technical equipment, clothing, and outdoor gear.
What is the meaning and purpose of LD? Why do we celebrate it? How did it come about? Good questions. Read on for the answers.
As I said above, the purpose of LD is to celebrate the accomplishments of the American Labor movement. Whatever one’s political views and affiliations, I think it is important and appropriate to understand Labor’s contributions to the growth and development of the US. For one thing, cheap labor was an integral component of the Industrial Revolution. When all was said and done, someone had to build all the roads, railroads, and cars, and operate all the factories and steel mills. In addition, the labor activism of the late 1800s and early 1900s was largely responsible for the relatively high wages and extensive benefits that are enjoyed by today’s US labor force (compared to that of other countries).
It should be noted that union membership has been declining sharply and steadily. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics union membership peaked percentage-wise in 1954 when approximately one-third of the nonagricultural workforce belonged to a labor union. By contrast in 2026 the rate is around 10%. Moreover, the flood of illegal immigrants in recent years has served to depress wages of both union and non-union workers.
The history of LD began in the 1870s in Canada. Labor Unions were illegal in Canada at the time, and 26 members of the Toronto Typographical Union had been imprisoned for striking for a nine-hour work day. That action led to demonstrations and rallies and the raising of the profile of labor unrest in both Canada and the US. Two of the most outspoken leaders were Peter McGuire, founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and an official of the American Federation of Labor, and Matthew Maguire, Secretary of the Central Labor Union in NY.
Historical accounts differ, but one or both of these men are credited with being the first to propose a holiday to celebrate labor. In any event, the CLU planned and organized the first LD celebration in NYC on September 5, 1885. Approximately, 20,000 workers and their families participated. The concept spread. In 1887 Oregon became the first state to sanction the holiday.
The Pullman Labor Strike in 1893 provided the final impetus for a national labor holiday. The Pullman Company had been founded and was run by George Pullman. Pullman, IL, where the company operated, was a classic company town. All the workers lived there and paid rent to the company, which was automatically deducted from their paychecks. Workers’ housing was segregated according to their jobs; everyone shopped at the Company Store.
Many viewed such an arrangement as a form of slavery, because workers were, in actuality, trapped due to their omnipresent debt to the Company. (Think of the song “Sixteen Tons.”) In 1893 the country was in the midst of a recession. The company laid off hundreds of workers and reduced the wages of many others. Of course, living expenses remained constant. These actions led to a strike. President Cleveland declared the strike to be illegal and “broke” it with Federal troops. Some striking workers were killed in the ensuing violence.
This incensed many Americans, and 1894 was an election year. So, Congress expeditiously passed a bill establishing LD as a national holiday, and the President promptly signed it into law. This entire process took only six days, so you can imagine the extent of the public outcry. Incidentally, this action failed to save President Cleveland’s political career; he was defeated anyway.
Eventually, the government settled on the first Monday in September as the official date. Many countries celebrate it on May 1 in conjunction with International Workers’ Day, but the Federal government did not want the association with that date for obvious reasons.
One of the supreme ironies of LD is that because it is such a big shopping day, many workers, especially retailers, are required to work. LD is considered to be one of the biggest retail sales days of the year. Some people use the day as a benchmark to change over their summer clothes to fall clothes. Fashion-minded people claim it the latest day when one should wear white clothes (although “winter white,” whatever that is, is still permissible.)
Like other holidays, LD should be a time for all of us to come together and reflect on what makes America, despite its flaws, the greatest country in the world. Disaffected residents as well as some people in other countries may like to criticize us for our real and perceived flaws, yet foreigners still want to come here, in some cases, desperately. In essence, many of them are “voting with their feet.”
Despite what you may see on tv or read in newspapers or on social media, most Americans are decent, hard-working, caring persons. Whenever disaster or tragedy strikes we unite to help those in distress. Many have donated their time and/or money without being asked and without expecting any payback or even recognition. If you doubt me, just look at the outpouring of kindness and empathy shown by “average” Americans toward the victims of the catastrophic events in recent years, such as superstorm Sandy, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and mass shootings. Those people, not the destructive thugs and professional agitators one sees on the tv news destroying property, attacking the police, and beating up those with whom they disagree, are the “real” Americans. It is the proverbial “silver lining” in a very dark cloud.
CONCLUSION
Why does the summer season appear to be so short? Every year it seems like summer has just begun and here comes LD, which signals the end of the season. I believe it is because in our minds, we transfer the approximately three post-Labor Day weeks of the season to Autumn, because the weather gets cooler, summer rentals terminate, and schools reopen.
I hope you all enjoy your LD holiday however you choose to spend it. Feel free to tell me how you celebrated it.
We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob 