Labor Day

I have been thinking about creating a blog long long time ago, but a thought that never put into action is still a thought. Finally, I make up my mind this morning that I want to start my blog with the title -- Labor Day!

Today, September 04, 2006, the beginning of new schooling semester of Penn State University is also the workers' holiday in the United States. Workers' Day, or Labor Day (also used interchangeably as May Day) is celebrated internationally as a commemoration of the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago, and a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the internationa labor movement.

Reminiscing the history of Labor Day, a series of riots and battles for social justice had finally earned an eight-hour work day around the world. In the 1880s, millions of Europe immigrants were glad to take jobs in the factories and mines in America "where the streets were paved with gold." However, the immigrants soon learned that they were exploited to work twelve or fourteen or even sixteen hours a day. In order to ask for an eight-hour work day from employers, workers formed unions so they could be stronger. Some owners agreed. But most of the large companies did not agree. The unions planned to strike on May 1, 1886, and named the plan as "the May Day Movement." On May 1 and the following three days, clashed between workers and polices were carried out and caused a number of workers and polices died.

In other counties, the May Day movement continued. May Day became the workers' holiday all around the world. In the United States, a more peaceful time in September became the workers' holiday. The eight-hour work day for workers did not become law until 1935 .

Justice without force is powerless;
force without justice is tyrannical.
~Blaise Pascal~