>> WELL, TODAY IS LABOR DAY. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HOLIDAY REPRESENTS? FOX24'S? BRIANNA MOORE JOINS US IN STUDIO AFTER SPEAKING WITH A STORY ABOUT HOW THE HOLIDAY EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS. SHE JOINS US WITH THAT THIS MORNING IN A GOOD MORNING TO YOU WELL. GOOD MORNING TO YOU. I HAVE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH MICHAEL PIERCE, WHO IS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS. AND HE'S ALSO HISTORIAN OF LABOR. HE TELLS ME THIS HOLIDAY IS ALL ABOUT CELEBRATING THE WORKING CLASS OF AMERICA IN A NEW FORM OF CAPITALISM THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY RISE IN THE UNITED STATES. >> PIERCE IS BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY. IF YOU'RE WORKING WAGES FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER THIS A BAD THING. HE SAYS PEOPLE DURING THAT TIME BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GAIN ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. BUT THE ECONOMIC ELITE WOULD EVENTUALLY CONVINCE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT WORKING WAGES YOUR ENTIRE LIFE SHOULD BE VALUED, NOT FEARED. NOW HE SAYS AMERICANS USE THIS DAY AS A WAY TO FIGHT FOR A BETTER LIFESTYLE MAKE IT THEIR OWN DEMANDING HIGHER WAGES BETTER AND SAFER WORKING CONDITIONS AND TO DEMAND OVERALL FAIR TREATMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. PIERS TELLS ME LABOR DAY IMPACTS MOST AMERICANS BECAUSE MANY SPENT AT LEAST A 3RD OF THEIR LIVES AT WORK, ESPECIALLY WHEN MOST WERE ANYWHERE FROM 8 TO 15 HOURS A DAY. >> THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CANNOT HAVE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE IF THEIR WORK. LIFE IS ONE MISERABLE DOESN'T PROVIDE ENOUGH MONEY. >> PIERCE IS LABOR DAY IS ALSO A TIME TO REFLECT ON THE LIFE OF AMERICAN WORKERS FACE AS THEY MOVE FORWARD. WELL, WE WILL HAVE THE FULL INTERVIEW AUDIO WITH PEERS OVER ON OUR WEBSITE. FOX24 NEWS DOT TV. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY