09/07/2026
Recognized in 1882, Labor Day was created to honor the struggles and victories of American workers who fought for fair wages, safe conditions, and dignity on the job.
The picture on this post is of some of the Pullman porters, African American men hired by the Pullman company to tend to passengers in luxury sleeping cars. The Pullman Strike of 1894 was a nationwide railroad conflict sparked when the Pullman Palace Car Company cut workers' wages without lowering high rents in its company town. Angry Pullman workers walked out in May 1894, and the following month, the American Railway Union (ARU) and its leader, Eugene V. Debs, declared a sympathy boycott of all trains using Pullman cars.
Because of the Pullman strike and others, Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland rushed to appease angry American workers.
This Labor Day, we celebrate not only the contributions of working people everywhere but also the resilience and leadership of all workers. Their sacrifices and determination remind us that the fight for justice on the job and equality in our communities are inseparably linked—and that progress for one strengthens progress for all.
