Community Corner
Celebrate Labor Day in Des Plaines
Higher wages, better working conditions and a shorter work week were the focus of Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor.
Labor Day is a celebration of workersβ contributions to society, and Des Plaines has no shortage of great industry and hard workers. The first Monday in September has been celebrated in the U.S. and Canada for more than 100 years.
After the Haymarket Affair in Chicago in 1886, labor organizations proposed the date of May 1 to recognize workersβ contributions, still observed around the world on May Day.
Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor took a different approach to workersβ rights. Instead of trying to re-work fundamental institutions, the AFL focused its efforts on higher wages, better working conditions and a shorter work week.
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Check out this video for more Labor Day history.
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