The United States will observe Labor Day on September 1, a holiday dedicated to recognizing the contributions of workers and the labor movement. Many workplace standards that Americans take for granted—such as weekends, 40-hour work weeks, child labor laws, and equal pay—are a result of efforts by unions.
Labor organizing in the U.S. began in 1866 with the founding of the National Labor Union (NLU) by William Sylvis. The NLU unified skilled and unskilled workers but excluded African-American members. After dissolving following the economic downturn of 1873, its influence continued as new organizations emerged.
In 1869, the Knights of Labor was formed as an inclusive group open to women and African Americans. By 1886, it had grown to 750,000 members and advocated for reforms including restrictions on child labor and public ownership of key infrastructure. That year also saw major worker actions: On May 1, more than 30,000 workers marched for an eight-hour workday. Violence during these protests led to fatalities among both police officers and workers at Chicago’s Haymarket Square.
After these events weakened the Knights of Labor, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) rose in prominence. The global recognition of International Workers’ Day on May 1 has roots in this period; however, U.S. lawmakers established Labor Day in September as a less politically charged alternative.
Throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, unions continued advocating for improved working conditions despite opposition. Legislative victories included measures such as restrictions on child labor (Keating-Owen Act), banning anti-union contracts (Norris-LaGuardia Act), and creating the Department of Labor in 1913.
The Great Depression intensified demands from industrial workers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration responded with New Deal legislation such as the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, which established maximum hours, minimum wages, and union rights. Though later overturned by the Supreme Court, it paved the way for subsequent laws like the Wagner National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). By World War II’s end, over twelve million Americans were union members.
The passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1938 marked another milestone: establishing a federal minimum wage, setting limits on working hours for adults and children alike, and prohibiting hazardous work by minors under eighteen years old.
Unions also played roles in civil rights advances—including supporting legislation like the Equal Pay Act and Civil Rights Act—while continuing their advocacy into other sectors such as farmwork.
Federal protections have not always extended equally; agricultural laborers remain excluded from some national standards but have won state-level victories like California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975 following years of organizing efforts including high-profile strikes by groups such as United Farm Workers.
In Florida during the late 1960s educators faced low salaries and limited resources. In response to legislative actions curtailing collective action rights—including a ban on public employee strikes—35,000 teachers staged what became America’s first statewide teacher walkout in 1968. This resulted in required negotiations between school boards and educators—a foundation that led to broader collective bargaining rights with Florida’s Public Employee Relations Act (PERA) passed in 1974.
Subsequent decades brought further expansion of worker protections at both state and federal levels with laws like the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990) requiring workplace accommodations for disabled employees and Family and Medical Leave Act (1993) ensuring job-protected leave for family or health reasons.
Despite progress achieved through organized labor’s efforts over generations—and ongoing events coordinated by groups such as Florida AFL-CIO—the press release notes current challenges remain around issues like wages, retirement security, parental leave policies not being codified into law nationally, attacks on union rights, and threats to child labor protections within states including Florida.
“Through unions,” says the statement from organizers,“we’ve transformed workplaces, won dignity,and reshaped our democracy.Bythe powerofourcollectivevoice,wewillcontinuepushingtowardafuturewhereeveryeducator,…and every worker who keeps our communities running can live the American Dream.”
“At the coreofourworkaseducatorsandunionistsisasimpletruth:wedothisforourstudentsandforthefuturewealldeserve.LaborDayshouldserveasareminderofhowfarwe’vecome—andwhywemustneverstopmovingforward.”
Floridians are encouraged to participate in local AFL-CIO events during this year’s holiday.