September 1882: First Labor Day Parade (Blawg Review Parade Led by Blawging Celebrities)
Peter McGuire, leader of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, first formally proposes a Labor Day at a meeting of the New York City Central Labor Union on May 18, 1882, saying “Let us have a festive day during which a parade through the streets of the city would permit public tribute to American Industry.”
The following September, more than 10,000 New York workers stage a parade up Broadway to Union Square, in spite of employers’ threats to fire them for it. Twelve years later, Grover Cleveland signs a Labor Day holiday bill, while he is fighting for his political life (RAWBLOG) in the wake of the disastrous Pullman strike.
