Oregon was instrumental in creating a national Labor Day holiday -- and other benefits for workers too.
Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash
When people think of Labor Day, they flash on black and white pictures from history books of huge factories in New York or Pittsburgh or Chicago where workers, including children, labored for twelve hours a day or more. But the history of Labor Day actually has its roots right here in Portland, Oregon.
The first official Labor Day holiday was declared in the state of Oregon and enacted into law on February 21, 1887. Oregon's actions were noticed and later that year Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York each declared their own Labor Day holiday.
Seven years later in 1894, then-president Grover Cleveland declared a national holiday to support the working class, to be celebrated on the first Monday of each September. By that point, twenty-three states already had enacted some type of worker holiday.
It was the height of the Industrial Revolution, and at the time, the American working class typically worked twelve hours a day, seven days a week. It was not unusual to see children as young as five years old working in factories as well.
Following several "muckraking" newspaper exposes and books, labor unions began to pop up across the United States, following unionizing efforts in England and Canada. A key tactic of unions was organizing labor strikes to disrupt business and highlight the appalling treatment of workers.
One of the most famous events was the first-ever Labor Day parade which was held in New York City on September 5, 1882. Over 10,000 workers left their jobs to march that day, often at great personal cost.
Image by L. Pham from Pixabay
But why was Oregon so instrumental in creating a Labor Day?
Oregon has a history of progressive politics that goes back to its founding. The movement to support workers began with municipal proclamations in Portland, Salem, Eugene, and other areas of the state in 1885 and 1886. When Governor Sylvester Pennoyer came into office in early 1887, the Democrat almost immediately signed House Bill #102, declaring the first Saturday in June a public holiday, to be known as Labor Day.
The Oregonian newspaper was appalled by the new law, writing:
About the silliest of all the demagogical methods of “aiding labor” is the bill to declare a special holiday in June to be known as “Labor Day.” There is sufficient inclination to idleness, there are sufficient incentives to productivity already. Just in what way labor is to be benefited by an invitation to shut up shop or stop the plow upon a particular day in the busy season, or indeed, at any other time, does not appear.”
Fortunately for workers, the Oregon legislature and governor didn't agree. But Oregon did more than just declare a holiday.
Labor organizers in Portland and Oregon continued to lead the way, including helping to organize a huge Longshoremen's strike in 1934 which, with participation from union locals up and down the coast, completely shut down ports on the West Coast. Like many early labor stoppages, strikers were met with violence from their employers. However, they persevered and when shipping companies were unable to find any scabs or temporary workers to cross the picket line, and finally succumbed to demands for union recognition and improvements in working hours and wages.
Early labor unions enjoyed great public support in Oregon. The Statesman Journal reports that it was common to see multiple parades, picnics, and events listed in local papers to celebrate Labor Day.
One of the most significant events was a "Labor Day Hike" that started in the 1920s. The Labor Day Hike was a 52-mile walk from the capitol building in Salem to downtown Portland. The event, which many jokingly called "the bunion derby", was one of Oregon's original ultramarathons. Participants had to sign up for the event in advance and provide medical verification that they were in good health in order to participate. Event rules stipulated that no running was allowed, and hikers needed to stay on course at all times.
In true Oregon tradition, the event was a bit wacky. As one paper reported about the hikers:
Every kind of attire from track pants to khaki and every kind of headgear from a ‘tiger’ hat to nothing at all was seen on the group of hikers.”
The event was later modified, then discontinued, and later had a couple of revivals before moving into the obscurity of Oregon history.
Image by Nicajo from Pixabay
Oregon continues to be at the forefront of the national labor movement. Oregon progressives were responsible for the state's many rights for workers including women's rights, additional health insurance protections, higher minimum wages, and groundbreaking pay equity laws. Many of these have served as a model for other states as well as national legislation.
Labor Day is celebrated this year on Monday, September 6th. For a list of local Labor Day events, click here.
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