Housekeeping - September 4 Labor Day Holiday in the USA (Patreon)

Monday, September 4, is the United States Labor Day holiday. For those who don't count distance using freedom units and don't understand why you would put ice cubes in a glass of drinking water (most of the world), I present to you some U.S. history.

May Day - International Workers Day - which is celebrated around the world on May 1, was born out of a national strike movement that turned violent in -- the United States. In 1886, multiple worker's rights groups set the week of May 1 as a coordinated week of action to demand, among other things, an eight-hour workday. In Chicago, Illinois, USA, this became known as the Haymarket Affair or Haymarket Massacre, depending on your history teacher and from the perspective taught.

In the 1880s, 60-plus hour work weeks with no sick time or vacation were commonplace. In the spring of 1886, labor leaders staged a strike at the McCormick-Deering Harvesting Machine Company in Chicago. McCormick hired scab workers, and the Pinkertons were reportedly hired to provide security and act as strikebusters.

As the nationwide protests started on May 1 and 2, things were relatively peaceful (by United States 1886 standards) in Chicago. On May 3, protests outside the McCormick-Deereing plant turned violent, leaving one person dead.

On May 4, 3,000 to 3,500 people gathered to listen to speeches in Haymarket Square - tension was very high. Many feared violence and hundreds of Chicago police officers were staged on the edges of the protest. As the day progressed - nothing happened - and due to a combination of poor weather and the last speakers being on stage, the crowd dwindled to around 200 people. The mayor and the police chief left the area and went to bed.

The Chicago police moved in to clear the last groups of people and gave the order to disperse. A person speaking shouted that this was a peaceful gathering when someone threw an improvised bomb at the ranks of police officers. For a moment, it appeared that the explosive was a dud, but the metal and dynamite IED exploded, wounding 60 and killing seven. Shots were fired, with many reported the police fired first. Four protesters and onlookers were killed, and up to 70 wounded. There were numerous arrests.

Shame trials were held the same year, and eight men were sentenced to death for the bombing. In 1887, four were hanged. Witnesses claim that the executions were intentionally botched, with the condemned gasping for breath for minutes in prolonged suffering. In 1893, new Illinois Governor Clarence Darrow granted clemecy to three men who were still awaiting execution, saying the trials were a "miscarriage of justice."

The eighth had committed suicide. 

Suicide is a sensitive topic, and its discussion can trigger deep feelings. If you are having suicidal thoughts or you’re despondent, there is help available.

• United States: 988 or 800-273-8255 - you can text 741741 – veterans can text 838255
• Canada: 833-456-4566 or text 45645 (text from 4 PM to Midnight EDT)
• United Kingdom: 0800-689-5652 or 999
• Ireland: Freephone 116-123 (Ireland and Northern Ireland) or text 50808 (Ireland only)
• Australia: 13-11-14 or 000 or text 0477-13-11-14
• New Zealand: 0508-828-865 or 111
• Ukrainian veterans: 7333

It has never been determined who threw the bomb. Blame has been placed on the Pinkertons, the Chicago police, Rudolph Schnaubelt, and members of the labor movement. Schnaubelt fled to London but categorically denied any involvement with the bombing.

While the Haymarket Affair/Massacre was a setback for the US labor movement, over the next 25 years, child labor and worker safety laws were enacted, the roots of the FDA were created, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed and vigorously used, and a number of fundamental workers rights that 21st Century Americans take for granted were created - among them - the 40 hour work week.

What does any of this have to do with International Workers Day versus Labor Day?

After Haymarket, worker movements around the world started adopting May 1 as International Workers Day. As the Cold War raged, International Workers Day was looked upon with contempt. In 1958, Congress signed a non-binding resolution declaring May 1 "National Loyalty Day." 

As for Labor Day, the popular story is Congress and President Grover Cleveland made the first Monday of September National Labor Day so that the United States labor movement would be out of sync with the labor movement in other nations.

The reality is the first Labor Day celebration in the United States happened on the first Tuesday of September in 1882 - in New York City - four years before Haymarket. The unofficial celebration rapidly spread to other states before Haymarket, celebrated on various days but loosely aligning to the first Monday of September. On February 21, 1887, Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day a holiday, but not really. The state law placed Labor Day on the first Saturday in June! On March 15, Colorado declared the first Monday of September as Labor Day, followed by Massachusetts. By 1893, 24 of the then-44 states had made Labor Day an official state holiday. In 1894, with legislation pending in other states, President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a national holiday.

How and why the first Monday in September was selected in 1882 is unclear and mired in controversy not only on why the day but who the first organizer-originator was.

What does this have to do with you? Unless World War III breaks out, there will not be a SITREP for September 4 to celebrate International Workers Day, errr, Labor Day.