Our 24-7 culture has, in a weird way, smudged the original purpose of Labor Day.
Hard-won with strikes and demonstrations, Labor Day was, at its birth, a militant celebration that marked a shift of power in the nation’s economy. Workers, many of them literally sick of long hours, low pay and lousy conditions, demanded a reasonable share of the wealth they were creating.
They formed labor unions and fought employers for fair wages, job security and an eight-hour workday. They stood up against hostile local governments and private security forces. They marched and rallied to spread their message and gather support. The greatest of those parades, in New York City on Sept. 5, 1892, drew 20,000 marchers under banners demanding “Eight hours for work. Eight hours for rest. Eight hours for recreation,” and declaring that “Labor creates all wealth.”
These were, in the gilded age of robber barons, revolutionary concepts. But they took hold. On June 28, 1894, Congress set aside the first Monday in September as the national holiday honoring the nation’s workers.
Somehow, from there, we’ve created a holiday best symbolized by traffic jams, clearance sales and excellent deals on deli cole slaw.
That makes sense, in a way.
Union members in Pierce County have full volunteer schedules.
They’re all over housing rehab and building programs. They’re wiring and plumbing from the waterfront to Orting. Last month, they installed a 600-foot dock on the Foss Waterway.
But while they’ve concentrated on work they do for others, they’ve slacked off on promoting union values and history to the general public.
In 2005, they decided to try again.
“You’d look at old pictures of Tacoma and see pictures of Labor Day parades downtown, and there would be thousands of people,” said Todd Iverson of the Tacoma office of America in Solidarity, a national labor support organization. The group’s Web site, www.americasolidarity.org, lays out its aims and methods.
In the old days, after the parade, there were games and food, a celebration for workers and their families.
That’s where Iverson and his union brothers and sisters decided to start. They organized a picnic with free hot dogs, sack races, even a traditional tug of war between union teams.
The first America in Solidarity and Pierce County Labor Council picnic in Wright Park drew 450 people.
Last year, the sponsors bought enough hot dogs to feed 600.
“They ran out in two hours,” said Iverson, who’s organizing this year’s picnic. “We estimated we had about 1,000 people.”
Today, he said, they’ve changed the venue to Wapato Park and stocked food for more than 1,000 people. They’ve lined up a group to sing old union songs. He promised that, aside from a few thank-yous, there will be no speeches. And anyone, union or not, is welcome.
“A lot of local labor leaders will be there to answer questions,” he said. “The painters are desperately seeking apprentices. They’ll be there, too.”
Iverson has no problem at all with the beach-and-cole slaw scenario. Unions, he pointed out, built the foundation for a work world where leisure time is a given. Unions want their workers to enjoy it. This picnic is intended to be a celebration, not an obligation.
“We just needed to have an outlet for all the working families to come together and celebrate what Labor Day really is about. We kind of hope that this will be like Ethnic Fest for working families. You go and enjoy the company of other working families.”
In our gritty union town, this is a welcome way to reconnect Labor Day to its roots. What: America in Solidarity-Pierce County Labor Day Picnic
When: Noon to 4 p.m. today
Where: Wapato Park, east of Interstate 5, off South 72nd Street, Tacoma
Kathleen Merryman: 253-597-8677
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