Have we forgotten the true meaning of Labor Day?

imagine a day meant to unify workers now reduced to shopping and barbecuing what happened to the true Spirit of Labor Day Labor Day held on the first Monday of September marks the end of Summer and the start of the school year for many but did you know that the holidays Founders in the late 1800s had a very different vision for this day the first Labor Day took place in 1882 in New York City organized by the central labor union back then unions were small and weak and the goal was to bring them together to achieve power and unity the organizers faced a big problem no one recognized the first Monday in September as a day off work they solved this by declaring a one-day strike where workers marched in a parade and enjoyed a giant picnic the New York Tribune described the event as a long political barbecue with rather dull speeches Labor Day was invented because workers were spending too many hours on the job with 70h hour weeks in the 1830s by 1890 the average work week had dropped to 60 hours but it was still too much Union organizers fought for an 8-hour workday and more days off including Labor Day surprisingly many politicians and business owners supported giving workers more time off to boost consumer spending as the US economy grew it became important for businesses to have consumers who could buy their products a common misconception is that Labor Day means everyone gets the day off but that's not true while it became a national holiday in 1894 it only officially covers federal employees many private employers and even some government agencies do not give their workers the day off in the past union workers were urged to strike if their employer refused to give them the day off today Labor Day is seen as a non-controversial holiday but it wasn't always that way a century ago there was debate over how militant workers should act on this day some supported May first for demonstrations and protests While others advocated for a peaceful September celebration have we lost the spirit of Labor Day maybe it's time to honor the original intent by truly taking a day off