What is Labor Day?

5. The Other Labor Day: May Day

Labor Day was not the first day that aimed to recognize working men and women. International Workers’ Day originated in the U.S. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, which eventually became the American Federation of Labor, held a convention in Chicago in 1884. Union members and leaders boldly declared that the eight-hour workday be officially and legally recognized by May 1, 1886. When the day arrived, 300,000 workers across the U.S. walked off of their jobs. Violence broke out two days later between the strikers, the police, and Pinkerton agents who arrived to curb the picketers. Over time, unions encouraged their members to recognize Labor Day instead of May Day, which they associated with more radical, anarchist views of labor and its issues. Today, May Day is a holiday in 66 countries.