Nothing is more important to the public weal than that the nobility of labor be maintained.
-Lawrence McGann (D-IL), who sat on the Committee on Labor, argued for Labor Day in a Congressional report submitted on May 15, 1894

Labor Day is a celebration of the American worker movement. This is a day which gives homage not just to the individual worker, but what collective organization and activism can accomplish. It is the only federal holiday not dedicated to a person or an event. It celebrates the unique contribution of each worker to the improvement of our communities.

Labor Day has roots in our radical traditions. The militant struggles of the early progressive era established the labor rights we cherish today. The establishment of Labor Day was an important step in highlighting the plight of workers in the aftermath of tragedies like the Pullman Strike.

The holiday shows that in union there is strength. In an era of declining unions and depleting worker value in the United States, Labor Day must be celebrated for being more than just the end of summer. Our democracy cannot be sustained without the power of the working class. Labor Day is a day to remember how far we have come and how much more we must fight.

Although established by law, Labor Day was born from the power of workers in the streets. Keep up the fight!