The original Labor (Labour for our friends north of the border) movement started in Canada and later jumped the border to the United States. The movement originated in 1872 when the Toronto Typographical Union organized a strike in support of the "Nine-Hour Movement". During the late 1800's laborers commonly worked 12 hour shifts for 7 days a week to earn a basic living. The Nine Hour Movement was an organized public outcry to have a normal day's work regulated to nine hours. A few weeks after the strike, a parade was held in Toronto on April 14th which solidified public opinion on the unfair incarceration of the strike organizers. Against the wall, the prime minister Sir John Macdonald promised to repeal the Canadian anti-union laws of the day which happened later in the month of June.
The labor movement did not hit a feverish pitch in the US until 1882. Some records indicate that Peter McGuire, the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and co-founder of the American Federation of labor, carried the message back to the unions from watching activity in Canada. Subsequently, the record has been altered as many believe it was Matthew McGuire, a machinist and later secretary of International Association of Machinists, who spread the message through the unions around New York. Once the message had cemented, the first labor day parade of 10,000 supporters marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City. Twelve years and many more organized parades around the country would pass before the US government under Grover Cleveland officially recognized Labor Day as the first Monday in September.
Jump to the History Channel link for some great pictures of the day.
Related Links:
US Department of Labor – History of Labor Day
Canadian Broadcasting Corp – Highlights in Canadian labour history
History Channel – Labor Day
