Today is Labor Day, Please remember who and what we are celebrating.

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Today is Labor Day, considered by many people as ‘the unofficial end of summer’. Officially Labor Day is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the workers who made America the greatest industrial society in history. This holiday provides a national tribute to the contribution’s workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Congress declared Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894 even though 30 states already celebrated the holiday. Congress enacted, and President Grover Cleveland signed into law, the holiday legislation to help end the Pullman (railroad car) Company labor strike in which 30 American Railway Union members died at the hands of the US Marshals while attempting to enforce a federal court injunction against the union.

At one of first observances of the holiday, crowds of spectators filled the sidewalks of Manhattan awaiting the Labor Day parade. While the Grand Marshall of the parade were in place and ready to begin there was but on problem…few marchers had shown for the event, and there wasn’t any music. When the parade didn’t start, people started to head back home, but suddenly two-hundred marchers from the Jewelers Union of Newark started to appear on the scene, and they had among their ranks, a band. As the Union-members turned onto lower Broadway groups of spectators began to join the marchers and by the time the parade ended almost 20,000 people had proudly marched in celebration of New York’s first ever Labor Day Parade. 

So, as you celebrate this holiday by boating at the lake, or camping at a Park or Forest, or taking a trip to see relatives, let us remember the American ‘working man and woman’ who have contributed so much, including building those lakes, preserving those parks and forests, and constructing those roadways, along with every other aspect of work to build the society and nation we all know and love.

We here at Insightful Accountant salute all of America's workers, past and present, and wish you both a happy and safe Labor Day.