Labour Day: Signs of Renewal?
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- Published on Sunday, 04 September 2016 22:45
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1301 .... September 5, 2016
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Labour Day: Signs of Renewal?
Evert Hoogers, Donald Swartz, Rosemary Warskett
Labour Day Weekend is upon us, and many union activists and their families will be out marching and picnicking, joining with brothers and sisters from other unions in a show of solidarity. While their participation is heartfelt there is no doubt many of them are asking what is there to celebrate? There are a few recent victories but not enough to prevent workers from concluding that the current Labour movement is in crisis.
Labour Day is recognized by most unions in Canada and the U.S. as a day to promote labour's role in the community. In 1894, it became a national holiday in Canada. The Canadian government was seeking to accommodate the Labour... Movement after the rise of the Knights of Labor and the strengthening of unions in the 1880s. Shortly after, the American government followed suit, wanting in particular to offer a counterpoint to May Day, which commemorated the state violence against the 1886 Haymarket demonstrators. The contrast remains between the North American Labour Day holiday and May Day, which is Labour's day elsewhere. While May Day stands for the international struggle against capitalism, Labour Day signifies the accommodation of workers within the capitalist system. Canada and the U.S. are the only countries where Labour Day rather than May Day celebrates the achievements of workers.
