American Labor Day Arrives Five Months Late
2022-09-05
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1Americans celebrate Labor Day this year on September 5.
2The national holiday began more than 100 years ago to honor low-paid factory workers.
3Labor Day also informally marks the end of summer.
4Many students return to school after Labor Day.
5The hot days of summer turn cooler.
6Many Americans celebrate the holiday with an outdoor family barbecue.
7But Labor Day started with a struggle.
8On May 1, 1889, workers demonstrated on the streets of Paris, France.
9International Labor Day was born.
10Most industrialized countries in the world -- except the United States and Canada -- celebrate Labor Day on the first of May.
11The first American Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City.
12About 10,000 workers marched through the streets to show the strength of labor organizations.
13For many years after that, American workers used the first Monday in September to demand better working conditions and pay.
14Music was a part of many of those marches.
15Labor songs traditionally tell stories of conflict and hopes for a better life.
16Here is Pete Seeger's "We Shall Not Be Moved."
17Many classic American labor songs came from workers in the coal mines of the South.
18Mine owners bitterly opposed workers' unions.
19In Kentucky, company police searched for union leaders.
20They waited outside a worker's home for several days to block him from organizing.
21The coal miner's wife, Florence Reece, stayed inside with her children.
22She wrote this song, "Which Side Are You On?" Here is Natalie Merchant singing the song.
23Another American labor song is called "Bread and Roses."
24It is based on a poem by James Oppenheim, published in December of 1911.
25The poem speaks about the women's labor movement.
26At that time, conditions in factories, where many women worked, were horrible.
27A fire at a clothing factory in New York killed 146 people.
28Most of the victims were immigrant women.
29A month after Oppenheim's poem was published, textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts went on strike.
30Their protest won them higher pay and better working conditions.
31Oppenheim's poem gained more attention.
32Here is Judy Collins singing "Bread and Roses."
33Even though Labor Day demonstrations are not as common in the U.S. today, the song reminds us to celebrate the effort and love that many people give to their work.
34I'm Ashley Thompson.
1Americans celebrate Labor Day this year on September 5. The national holiday began more than 100 years ago to honor low-paid factory workers. 2Labor Day also informally marks the end of summer. Many students return to school after Labor Day. The hot days of summer turn cooler. Many Americans celebrate the holiday with an outdoor family barbecue. 3But Labor Day started with a struggle. On May 1, 1889, workers demonstrated on the streets of Paris, France. International Labor Day was born. Most industrialized countries in the world -- except the United States and Canada -- celebrate Labor Day on the first of May. 4The first American Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City. About 10,000 workers marched through the streets to show the strength of labor organizations. 5For many years after that, American workers used the first Monday in September to demand better working conditions and pay. Music was a part of many of those marches. 6Labor songs traditionally tell stories of conflict and hopes for a better life. Here is Pete Seeger's "We Shall Not Be Moved." 7Many classic American labor songs came from workers in the coal mines of the South. Mine owners bitterly opposed workers' unions. In Kentucky, company police searched for union leaders. They waited outside a worker's home for several days to block him from organizing. 8The coal miner's wife, Florence Reece, stayed inside with her children. She wrote this song, "Which Side Are You On?" Here is Natalie Merchant singing the song. 9Another American labor song is called "Bread and Roses." It is based on a poem by James Oppenheim, published in December of 1911. 10The poem speaks about the women's labor movement. At that time, conditions in factories, where many women worked, were horrible. A fire at a clothing factory in New York killed 146 people. Most of the victims were immigrant women. 11A month after Oppenheim's poem was published, textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts went on strike. Their protest won them higher pay and better working conditions. Oppenheim's poem gained more attention. 12Here is Judy Collins singing "Bread and Roses." 13Even though Labor Day demonstrations are not as common in the U.S. today, the song reminds us to celebrate the effort and love that many people give to their work. 14I'm Ashley Thompson. 15Nancy Steinbach, Mario Ritter, Jerilyn Watson and Kelly Jean Kelly contributed to this report.