On the first Monday of September 2022, Americans will celebrate the United States’ 128th Federal Labor Day Holiday. Some might partake a parade, indulge in a day at the beach, or splurge on the sales rampaging the nation and online, signifying the last weekend of summer – all in honor and celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.

In the late nineteenth century, at the peak of the United States Industrial Revolution, the average American was clocking in a 12-hour, seven-day work week only to barely afford a livable income. Children as young as 5 or 6 were working in mines, mills, and factories at an even lesser wage despite the child labor restrictions in some states. If that wasn’t bad enough, those who were recent immigrants and those coming from impoverished communities, alongside others of all ages, were subject to unsanitary, hazardous, and unfair working conditions. Some worked without access to clean air, others worked without any breaks, and minorities endured all this and more.

It was under these conditions that labor unions grew far more prominent and vocal than they had ever been. Though some strikes and rallies turned violent during this time, such as the Haymarket Affair of 1886, it was when on September 5, 1882, that over 10,000 American workers took unpaid time off and marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, that things started to change for the better. This unequivocally became known as the first Labor Day Parade in United States History.

In 1887, Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day an official holiday. Not long after, on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, signed into law Labor Day as a federal holiday. The labor laws that were then passed significantly raised our nation’s standards of living, helped established the United States as one of the greatest producers and manufacturers in the world, and brought us one step closer to economic and political democracy.

As one of the freight forwarding companies of this country, we know that our supply chain industry marries several types of logistics nationwide and globally. From procurement and manufacturing logistics to distribution and reverse logistics, we work firsthand with many of the people who come together contributing their skills to making America so great. Through our international network of manufacturers, suppliers, and transporters, we not only know what the process is of getting your goods to your door, but also the sheer amount of manpower and hours it takes to ensure that our clients get what they want, when they want, and however they would like it.
To sum it up, it takes more than just a village – it takes a whole nation. So, as we all enjoy our Labor Day Holiday this Monday, let us also take a moment of mindfulness, to truly appreciate the efforts that go into making our day-to-day lives easier as workers and consumers, and the hurdles that our predecessors overcame so we could have a better shot at making the American Dream our reality.