Have We Forgotten the True Meaning of Labor Day?_我的网站
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Labor Day is a U.S. national holiday held the first Monday every September. Unlike most U.S. holidays, it is a strange celebration without rituals, except for shopping and barbecuing. For most people it simply marks the last weekend of summer and the start of the school year.
The holiday’s founders in the late 1800s envisioned something very different from what the day has become. The founders were looking for two things: a means of unifying union workers and a reduction in work time.
The first Labor Day occurred in 1882 in New York City under the direction of that city’s Central Labor Union.
In the 1800s, unions covered only a small fraction of workers and were balkanized and relatively weak. The goal of organizations like the Central Labor Union and more modern-day counterparts like the AFL-CIO was to bring many small unions together to achieve a critical mass and power. The organizers of the first Labor Day were interested in creating an event that brought different types of workers together to meet each other and recognize their common interests.
However, the organizers had a large problem: No government or company recognized the first Monday in September as a day off work. The issue was solved temporarily by declaring a one-day strike in the city. All striking workers were expected to march in a parade and then eat and drink at a giant picnic afterwards.
Why was Labor Day invented?
Labor Day came about because workers felt they were spending too many hours and days on the job.
In the 1830s, manufacturing workers were putting in 70-hour weeks on average. Sixty years later, in 1890, hours of work had dropped, although the average manufacturing worker still toiled in a factory 60 hours a week.
These long working hours caused many union organizers to focus on winning a shorter eight-hour work day. They also focused on getting workers more days off, such as the Labor Day holiday, and reducing the workweek to just six days.
These early organizers clearly won since the most recent data show that the average person working in manufacturing is employed for a bit over 40 hours a week and most people work only five days a week.
As the U.S. economy expanded beyond farming and basic manufacturing in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it became important for businesses to find consumers interested in buying the products and services being produced in ever greater amounts. Shortening the work week was one way of turning the working class into the consuming class.
The common misconception is that since Labor Day is a national holiday, everyone gets the day off. Nothing could be further from the truth.
While the first Labor Day was created by striking, the idea of a special holiday for workers was easy for politicians to support. It was easy because proclaiming a holiday, like Mother’s Day, costs legislators nothing and benefits them by currying favor with voters. In 1887, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey all declared a special legal holiday in September to celebrate workers.
Within 12 years, half the states in the country recognized Labor Day as a holiday. It became a national holiday in June 1894 when President Grover Cleveland signed the Labor Day bill into law. While most people interpreted this as recognizing the day as a national vacation, Congress’ proclamation covers only federal employees. It is up to each state to declare its own legal holidays.
Moreover, proclaiming any day an official holiday means little, as an official holiday does not require private employers and even some government agencies to give their workers the day off. Many stores are open on Labor Day. Essential government services in protection and transportation continue to function, and even less essential programs like national parks are open. Because not everyone is given time off on Labor Day, union workers as recently as the 1930s were being urged to stage one-day strikes if their employer refused to give them the day off.
In the president’s annual Labor Day declaration last year, Obama encouraged Americans “to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities that honor the contributions and resilience of working Americans.”
The proclamation, however, does not officially declare that anyone gets time off.
Controversy: Militants and founders
Today most people in the U.S. think of Labor Day as a noncontroversial holiday.
The first controversy that people fought over was how militant workers should act on a day designed to honor workers. Communist, Marxist and socialist members of the trade union movement supported May 1 as an international day of demonstrations, street protests and even violence, which continues even today.
More moderate trade union members, however, advocated for a September Labor Day of parades and picnics. In the U.S., picnics, instead of street protests, won the day.
There is also dispute over who suggested the idea. The earliest history from the mid-1930s credits Peter J. McGuire, who founded the New York City Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, in 1881 with suggesting a date that would fall “nearly midway between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving” that “would publicly show the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.”
Later scholarship from the early 1970s makes an excellent case that Matthew Maguire, a representative from the Machinists Union, actually was the founder of Labor Day. However, because Matthew Maguire was seen as too radical, the more moderate Peter McGuire was given the credit.
Who actually came up with the idea will likely never be known, but you can vote online here to express your view.
Have we lost the spirit of Labor Day?
Today Labor Day is no longer about trade unionists marching down the street with banners and their tools of trade. Instead, it is a confused holiday with no associated rituals.
The original holiday was meant to handle a problem of long working hours and no time off. Although the battle over these issues would seem to have been won long ago, this issue is starting to come back with a vengeance, not for manufacturing workers but for highly skilled white-collar workers, many of whom are constantly connected to work.
If you work all the time and never really take a vacation, start a new ritual that honors the original spirit of Labor Day. Give yourself the day off. Don’t go in to work. Shut off your phone, computer and other electronic devices connecting you to your daily grind. Then go to a barbecue, like the original participants did over a century ago, and celebrate having at least one day off from work during the year!
B | 昨日0时至15时，本市新增本土新冠肺炎病毒感染者15例，均为隔离观察人员。近期，北京三所学校发生的疫情源头清晰、皆为京外输入，为三条独立传播链。北京化工大学昌平校区聚集性疫情和中央民族大学附属中学聚集性疫情平稳，处于收尾阶段，中国传媒大学聚集性疫情总体可控。
C | 会上，北京市疾控中心副主任刘晓峰通报了本市疫情。9月11日0时至24时，北京新增本土新冠肺炎病毒感染者14例，均为隔离观察人员，其中，昌平区7例、朝阳区5例、海淀区2例；均为轻型。另有1例无症状感染者转确诊病例已通报。
D | 9月12日0时至15时，新增本土新冠肺炎病毒感染者15例，均为隔离观察人员，其中，朝阳区13例，昌平区和通州区各1例；轻型9例、无症状感染者6例。上述病例已转至定点医院隔离治疗，已开展流行病学调查和密切接触者追踪，对涉及的风险点位进行排查，对各类风险人员实施分类管控。感染者111：为感染者30的同校学生。9月11日进行核酸检测，报告结果为阳性，9月12日诊断为无症状感染者。
E | 感染者112至123、125：均为感染者87的同校学生，9月11日、12日进行核酸检测，报告结果为阳性。感染者112、114、117、119于9月12日诊断为无症状感染者，其余感染者诊断为确诊病例，临床分型均为轻型。感染者124：为感染者87的同校工作人员，现住通州区宋庄镇富豪村。9月12日进行核酸检测，报告结果为阳性，诊断为无症状感染者。
F | 刘晓峰通报，截至目前，北京化工大学昌平校区聚集性疫情累计报告感染者50例，中央民族大学附属中学聚集性疫情累计报告感染者18例，中国传媒大学聚集性疫情累计报告感染者28例。经流行病学调查和基因测序分析，3起疫情感染来源均为京外，病毒属于奥密克戎变异株不同分支，为三条独立传播链。北京化工大学昌平校区聚集性疫情和中央民族大学附属中学聚集性疫情平稳，处于收尾阶段，中国传媒大学聚集性疫情总体可控。“目前学校风险区域将陆续解除封控，解封前要做好人员及环境风险评估，按规定落实核酸检测、健康监测、症状排查等措施，科学、安全、有序做好解封工作。解封不等于解防，要仔细排查风险点位，认真查找防疫漏洞，严防疫情外溢，指导在校学生、学校工作人员和服务保障人员遵守各项防疫规定，做好健康监测，密切关注本人及同住人员身体健康状况，一旦出现发热、干咳、乏力、嗅觉味觉减退、鼻塞、流涕、咽痛、结膜炎、肌痛和腹泻等11类新冠肺炎相关症状，立即报告并配合相应管控措施。集中隔离、居家隔离人员应自觉遵守各项防控防疫规定，医学观察期间如有任何身体不适要及时报告。”刘晓峰说。会上，北京市委宣传部副部长、市政府新闻办主任、市政府新闻发言人徐和建介绍，要做好校园疫情处置，确保师生安全，严防疫情风险外溢。学校是当前疫情防控重要部位，要绷紧防疫这根弦，压实高校防疫主体责任。要完善15分钟核酸采样圈布局，扩大24小时核酸检测点覆盖面，提高采样检测时效，方便群众就近检测。文/本报记者 蒋若静 赵婷婷 王斌重点朝阳区新划定2处中风险区昨天的发布会上，朝阳区人民政府副区长孟锐通报了该区疫情防控有关情况。9月12日0时至15时，朝阳区新增新冠肺炎病毒感染者13名，均为中国传媒大学在校学生，系隔离管控人员，已转入定点医院治疗。主要涉及一处风险点位，即：9月8日11：30—11：40，三间房南里6号中国联通定福庄营业厅。请与上述活动轨迹有时空交集或接到健康宝弹窗提示的人员，立即主动向所在社区（村）、工作单位、居住酒店报告，或者拨打朝阳疾控部门热线电话87789709报告。朝阳区继续快速深入开展流调排查。进一步配强配足流调力量，以严之又严、细之又细的态度对风险隐患再排查，对病例及感染者活动所涉及的风险点位和人员，第一时间落位并分类管控，用最短时间把隐匿风险围住捞干扑灭，坚决防止风险外溢。截至12日15时，共判定密接1844人，涉及朝阳区人员均已落实隔离管控措施，涉及外省区人员已转办协查。同时，科学划定风险区域，经市区疾控专家研判，新划定2处中风险区，东坝乡高杨树北里11号楼2单元、崔各庄乡京旺家园1区9号楼划定为中风险区，实行“人不出区、错峰取物”。朝阳区进一步提高核酸采样和检测质效，确保快检快出，捞干筛净隐匿风险。11日继续对传媒大学及周边梆子井学生公寓、二外以及邻近的珠江绿洲家园小区开展核酸检测，共采样23172人，结果均为阴性；三间房地区常态化核酸检测，共采样90748人，结果均为阴性。孟锐表示，朝阳区将全力以赴用最短时间围住捞干扑灭校园疫情，持续抓好驻区高校秋季开学疫情防控工作，支持协助辖区内学校做好防疫工作，确保校园防疫安全；持续抓好社会面疫情防控，严格落实各项防疫要求，织密首都疫情防控网。中秋假期即将结束，孟锐再次提醒各在京单位要严格履行防疫责任，职工假期返岗前48小时内应进行1次核酸检测，检测阴性结果未出之前或有疑似症状的暂缓返岗，要严格落实各项防控要求；广大市民朋友进入公共场所要主动配合扫码、测温、查验核酸阴性证明，一起守护首都健康安全。中国传媒大学今日起全面实施线上教学昨天的发布会上，中国传媒大学党委副书记李众通报了该校疫情防控有关情况。从9月12日0时至9月12日15时，学校新增13例阳性病例，均为隔离管控人员。针对新出现的阳性病例，学校第一时间开展流调排查，开展重点区域风险排查工作，在卫健委和疾控中心指导下，在朝阳区、三间房乡的帮助下，迅速安排转运隔离、环境采样及消杀。
G | 9月11日，学校共计转运640名师生员工至集中隔离点，“应检尽检”累计核酸检测13150人，结果均为阴性。朝阳区卫健委针对中国传媒大学实际情况，制定了《传媒大学疫情防控手册》，为学校进一步做好疫情防控提供了可借鉴、可实施的工作准则。同时，学校多措并举，尽最大努力为学生提供生活保障。发挥校地协同力量，在属地、社区及疾控人员的大力帮助下，全力确保师生用餐保障及时、到位，尽最大努力提供物资、生活、医疗保障，为后勤人员改善生活条件。学校积极协调宿舍空间，落实楼长、层长全部“入住一线”工作要求，倾心守护同学们的安全和健康。严格落实保障人员“不交叉”工作要求，落实闭环管理，采取无接触配送方式取餐、送餐，降低交叉感染风险。进一步加强浴室等公共区域的管理及消杀。李众透露，疫情虽然打乱了学校新学期的脚步，但停课不停学，学校将于今日起全面实施线上教学。北京化工大学3855名本科新生完成线上报到昨日发布会上，北京化工大学党委常委、副校长王峰通报，9月12日0时至15时，学校新增初筛阳性感染者1人，为隔离观察学生。学校立即对新增阳性病例深入开展流调排查，对相关风险人员第一时间落位管控。据介绍，9月11日，昌平校区和朝阳校区完成在校师生“应检尽检”，海淀校区完成常态化核酸检测，三校区共检测16442人，其中昌平校区检测6657人，结果全部为阴性。
H | 目前，北京化工大学朝阳校区和海淀校区均已由临时封控有序调整为常态化疫情防控管理，学校严格落实落细各项防控措施，精细实施网格化管理，师生坚持有序、分时、错峰用餐洗浴，严格落实扫码、测温、健康监测等常态化疫情防控措施，织密织牢校园疫情防控网络，确保“解封”不“解防”、防疫不松懈。王峰还通报了线上教育教学情况。
I | 截至9月12日中午12时，学校已有3855名本科新生完成线上报到，后续将有序开展线上入学教育和教育教学活动。学校坚持“一院一案”“一级一案”“一专业一案”的原则，平稳、有序、精细开展线上教育教学。同时，完成网络升级、平台扩容、流程优化等工作，为大规模在线教学提供技术支撑。通过师生“连麦”、生生互动等形式，不断提升线上课堂的互动性和学生的参与度，确保线上线下教学等质等效。本组文/本报记者 蒋若静 赵婷婷 王斌返回搜狐，查看更多责任编辑：
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