Today is Labor Day, which has come to symbolize the end of summer in pop culture. Labor Day has been celebrated in the US on the first Monday in September since 1882, when President Grover Cleveland signed it into law following the Pullman Strike in Chicago.
September was chosen not only because of the Pullman Strike, but also to avoid the connection with May Day celebrations in other countries. May Day resulted from the Haymarket riots, when striking workers threw a bomb at police, killing eight officers. Eight anarchist were tried for the incident, and four were put to death.
The modern labor movement began in 1891, with Pope Leo XIII. His essay, "On the Condition of the Working Classes," promoted the ideas of a limited work day, a living wage, the elimination of child labor, the rights of labor to organize, and the duty of states to regulate working conditions.
This Labor Day could mark a turning point in the political influence of the labor movement. The AFL-CIO has said that they are tired of supporting Democrats and getting nothing in return. They have drawn a line in the sand over health care reform and the public option. Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO told HuffPost, "the special interest, the pharmaceutical industry, the health care industry are so vested in the current system so they'll do anything to keep it this way and we have a job to do there."
The Democrats won big in November because they were able to pick up seats in conservative districts. Now they are hearing rumbles of discontentment from the left. Labor has long been a big voting block for the Democrats, and liberals need to make sure that their voices are heard.
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