by Ronnie Dauber

Created on: September 11, 2008   Last Updated: September 13, 2008

Labour Day is a national statutory holiday that commemorates the freedom of rights given to employees. It's celebrated once a year on the first Monday in September and has become one of the most notorious vacation weekends of the year.

The first official Canadian Labour Day was established on April 15, 1872 in Toronto and was arranged by the Toronto Trades Assembly, which was the only labour body in Canada at that time. It was the first historic parade for worker's rights and was welcomed by thousands of onlookers.

The day was declared a legal holiday by Parliament on July 23, 1894 as a day of celebration, and it remains a holiday to this day. But is it celebrated with the same vigour?

As the years have passed and we have become accustomed to all the perks and benefits of present day labour, we often forget why this day is important. Many of us have never experienced the hardships of our ancestors and we carelessly don't acknowledge the freedoms that were earned on that day.

Before this day, companies that had money to hire employees had full rule and control over them. The employees worked long, laborious hours for very little pay. Often on pay day there wasn't even enough money to buy food.

There were no benefits at all. If the employee was sick and couldn't work, he did not receive sick pay and he was often heavily chastised by being fired or given strenuous work to make up for his absence.

There were no medical health or dental benefits. There were no maternity benefits with a guaranteed job to return to. There were no prospects of a company pension.

There was no union to defend or support the employees. They were at the mercy of the employer and were exposed to being fired at the company's will, given tasks beyond their abilities or strength, and forced to work until they dropped.

Employees were abused and underpaid, and they had nowhere to turn for help. The government felt that the employers should be in charge of their company's and if the employee didn't like it, they could leave. But who could leave? They had families to feed.

On that special day many years ago, an underground union became public and organized a parade that occupied the streets of Toronto. They wanted the attention. They wanted the government officials to know that men were locked inside a jail cell because the company put them there for not doing what they were told. What kind of authority did companies have if they could jail innocent people?

So as a result of that first day, other parades followed in Ottawa and caught the Prime Minister's attention. He realized that companies had too much power and that the people were mistreated. He accepted the union's demands and employees were given rights as citizens and not objects.

What is Labour Day? It's that one day every year when every single person in America should stop working and celebrate their rights and freedoms as employees. Now we have a prosperous future. We are educated people with a wide spectrum of careers to choose from. We are not limited to one boss forever. We are free to choose.

So, stand up America and be proud that your ancestors saw a need and fought for it and won your freedom!

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