CELEBRATE LABOR DAY!

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HISTORY OF LABOR DAY

Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an

annual celebration of the social and economic achievements

of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late

nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal

holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have

made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.

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EARLY ADOPTERS

Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by

labor activists and individual states. After municipal

ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement

developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the 

first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. During 1887, four more states – Colorado,

Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the

decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the

holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a

legal holiday.

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WHO FOUNDED LABOR DAY?

Who first proposed the holiday for workers? It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim

to the Founder of Labor Day title.

 

Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and

Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a "general

holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the

grandeur we behold."

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But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that machinist

Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday.

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Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of

the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while

serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.

According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national

Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that "the souvenir pen should go to

Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday." Both

Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year.

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THE FIRST LABOR DAY

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance

with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a

year later, on September 5, 1883.

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By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a

law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.

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A NATIONWIDE HOLIDAY

Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics and parties – festivities very similar to those

outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a

street parade to exhibit "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the

community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.

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Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the

economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of

Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to

the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

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American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known and the labor movement has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker, (from the U. S. Department of Labor).

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SWOEA MEMBER SCHOLARSHIP

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The Southwestern Ohio Education Association Member Scholarship was established by the Executive Committee and presented to the Representative Assembly in the spring of 2003.

The $1,000 Scholarship will be awarded to a member pursuing a career advancement course of study. Applicants must be a current member and have been a member of the Southwestern Ohio Education Association for the last three consecutive years. SWOEA membership must be maintained during the duration of the award. In order to sustain SWOEA membership, consideration will not be given to those seeking administrative certification or licensure. A member may receive this scholarship only once. Current members of the SWOEA Executive Committee will not be considered for the scholarship. The completed application must be received by SWOEA by 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 15, 2021. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Criteria and Additional Information:
 

1. The applicant must be pursuing a career advancement course of study.

2. The scholarship must be used for coursework and related costs.

3. Funds will be dispersed upon receipt of a summary of progress, grade card, or transcript. You must also include a copy of your receipt for tuition, books, etc.

4. Reimbursement of the coursework and related expenses must be submitted by August 30, 2022.

5. The finalists must be available for an interview on the afternoon of Sunday, October 3, 2021.

6. The scholarship recipient will be announced to the Fall Representative Assembly on November 13, 2021.

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OEA THANKS STATE SUPERINTENDENT DEMARIA FOR SERVICE 

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The Ohio Education Association wishes to thank Paolo DeMaria for his long service to students and Ohioans, most recently as the State’s Superintendent of Public Instruction during an important time in the state’s education policy history.

 

“Paolo deserves a lot of credit for the way he has brought people from divergent perspectives together to work toward bettering the lives of Ohio’s students,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “His leadership on the strategic planning process and commitment to equity and inclusion deserve high praise. He has set a high bar for the next person to hold the position.”

OEA and all Ohio taxpayers also owe DeMaria a debt of gratitude for his department’s investigation into the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), which revealed the largest taxpayer fraud in the state’s history. The school eventually shut down in 2018 after DeMaria’s department had revealed ECOT had been paid at least $80 million to educate students the school didn’t actually educate.

“Paolo showed courage taking on ECOT – a school that had long been held unaccountable by policymakers,” DiMauro said. “Revealing the taxpayer fraud that school perpetrated sent an incredibly important message that continues to resound in Ohio’s education community.”

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