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JACQUES LOVEALL, President, Intl. Vice President Main Office 2200 Professional Dr, Roseville, CA 95661 (916) 786 - 0588 (888) 8 E I G H T |
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JACQUES LOVEALL, President, Intl. Vice President Main Office 2200 Professional Dr, Roseville, CA 95661 (916) 786 - 0588 (888) 8 E I G H T |
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| [ Back to Table of Contents ] | ||
| SENIOR
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Happy Labor Day!
Celebrating a holiday for working people |
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O n Sept. 7, we will commemorate the 127th anniversary of the first Labor Day.Most Americans think of Labor Day as a last gasp of summer, one final chance to go to the beach or fire up the barbecue before school begins and the leaves start to turn yellow.It’s up to us as Union members to remind our fellow citizens that Labor Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Labor Unions and working men and women.For example, unions lobbied for laws that set the five-day, 40-hour work week as the standard for all Americans. We also fought for vacations, holidays and pensions to enable millions to appreciate their lives outside of the context of their jobs. The first Labor Day was observed on Sept. 5, 1882. The idea was proposed by Matthew McGuire, a member of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J. to honor the achievements and contributions of American workers. Labor Day became an annual event. |
Workers march in the first Labor Day parade, New York City, 1882. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and by 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. |
In
1894, speakers at Labor Day rallies across America protested the harsh
measures that were employed by
President Grover Cleveland to crush
the Pullman railway strike.
Eager to appease the widespread anger of working people, Congress unanimously passed legislation on June 28, 1894, to make Labor Day a national holiday. President Grover Cleveland signed it into law, establishing the first Monday in September as Labor Day. The American labor movement has come
a long way in the past 127 years. That’s
something to think about as you head
to the beach. Happy Labor
Day! |
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Official publication of UFCW 8-Golden State Jacques Loveall, President |
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