![Labor Day](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-08/Screenshot%202024-08-28%20at%2010.46.46%E2%80%AFAM.png?itok=68YYnycp)
For many Americans, Labor Day means the end of summer and beginning of the school year. But the holiday really celebrates the social and economic achievements of American workers. Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. The three-day weekend it falls on is called Labor Day Weekend.
We celebrate workers on Labor Day, but the labor movement allows us to experience the following benefits and rights every day:
• Child labor ended
• Legal right of workers to form unions and collectively bargain for wages, benefits, and working conditions
• 8-hour work day and paid overtime
• Workers' comp benefits for workers injured on the job
• Unemployment insurance for workers who lose their jobs
• Guaranteed minimum wage
• Paid sick leave, vacations, and holidays as standard benefits for most workers
• Passage of the Civil Rights Acts and Title VII which outlaws job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
• Passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
• Passage of the Family Medical Leave Act
Enjoy Labor Day and please stay safe and enjoy your time with family, friends, and loved ones.