Did You Know There would be No Labor Day without Chicago?
We may not have ever had a Labor Day to celebrate if it wasn't for the historic events that took place in Chicago, Illinois.
We are all looking forward to Labor Day weekend 2021, this year has almost been as rough as 2020 was, with the extreme weather throughout the country, and the rising COVID-19 numbers, we all deserve a long weekend off to relax with friends and family. BUT did you know that you may have never gotten a Labor Day celebration without major events many years ago in the Second City, Chicago.
According to history.com by the middle and late 1800's average Americans were working 12 hour days and most were working seven days a week, it was the Industrial Revolution and these mega companies had unlimited power over the worker. But by the late 1800's these conditions had gotten so bad that workers started to strike and organize themselves demanding increases in pay, and better conditions. And then according to history.com things took a turn...
"...the infamous Haymarket Riot of 1886, in which several Chicago policemen and workers were killed...May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. On June 26, the American Railroad Union... called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide... the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers."
The events of the Haymarket Riot directly led to the desire for a working mans holiday, while years later the Pullman boycott and subsequent massacre led directly to more union protection of workers in this country. For more information click here!
So as we all enjoy a weekend of drinking, watching college football, and spending time with the people you love, take a small second to thank the people of Chicago who over 120 years ago were fighting for the rights that workers have today.