The first American Labor Day was celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. Less than seven years later, Labor Day went global. In 1889, an international federation of socialists and trade unions in Europe decided to create a similar holiday: International Workers’ Day (or Labour Day) to be celebrated on May 1 of each year, a tradition that continues to this day in more than 60 countries. 

The practice of recognizing Labor Day as a holiday is rooted in the late 1800s, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity and well-being.

Many of us in the United States think about International Workers’ Day as a European celebration. But there is a uniquely American connection that we should all remember on our own Labor Day. The international federation picked that date to commemorate a general strike in Chicago called on May 1, 1886, with tens of thousands of American workers fighting for a right we’ve come to enjoy as standard: the eight-hour workday. The strike, however, met with tragedy just a few days later. On May 4, a riot broke out in Chicago when police attempted to clear Haymarket Square of strikers, leaving seven police officers and four civilians dead, with dozens of others wounded. Eight men were convicted of the killings and sentenced to death following a shamefully unjust trial. The next Illinois governor pardoned the three strikers, who had not yet been executed, six years after their conviction.

As we approach this Labor Day holiday, Maxfort is proud to celebrate our incredible employees! The work you do every day, helping our clients across the country, makes a real difference for their business and drives our organization toward its pinnacle.

Thank you for the contributions you are making to Maxfort.