Devine Designs Jewelry

Labor Day Parade, Union Square, New York, 1882 ~Labor Day was originally dedicated to pay tribute to the American worker. ~Labor Day was first thought to be the suggestion of Peter J. McGuire, secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor; although many contribute this idea to Matthew Maguire, a machinist, while serving in the Central Labor Union of New York, in 1882. ~Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887. ~President Grover Cleveland signed the bill into law in 1894, declaring Labor Day to be held on the first Monday in September. ~Labor riots between striking railway workers and local authorities helped to rush this into law. ~Labor Day is also observed in Canada.