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Rep. Ford Honors Labor Day
America Is Stronger Because of Organized Labor
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Dear Reader,
Organized labor should be celebrated, protected, and uplifted, not only on Labor Day but every day. America is a stronger, safer, and more prosperous nation because generations of workers had the courage to organize and demand dignity, fairness, opportunity, and a voice at work.
As a former Chicago Public Schools employee and proud union member, I know firsthand how much a union can change a worker’s life. Over nearly 20 years in the Illinois General Assembly, I have proudly stood with organized labor because strong unions create stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger America.
At every level of our economy, union workers keep America moving. Teachers educate our children. Nurses and health care workers care for our families. Police officers, firefighters, and first responders protect our communities. Laborers, electricians, operating engineers, transportation workers, and skilled tradespeople build and maintain the infrastructure our nation relies on.
The labor movement helped build America’s middle class and advance fair wages, safer workplaces, reasonable working hours, health benefits, retirement security, and the right to organize. Now we must ensure that the future of labor reflects America’s future.
America’s labor force should reflect the diversity of America itself. That means expanding pathways to good-paying union careers for people of every race, gender, background, neighborhood, and ZIP code. We must strengthen apprenticeships, training, and recruitment so that historically underrepresented communities have a fair opportunity to enter the skilled trades and other union professions, earn family-sustaining wages, and build generational wealth.
As families face rising costs, now is the time to strengthen organized labor, not weaken it. We must defend collective bargaining, prevailing wages, pensions, workplace safety, and the freedom to organize.
Let us build a stronger, more inclusive labor movement that reflects our country's full diversity, talent, and promise.
A diverse labor movement will build a stronger middle class and a stronger America—because America works better when America’s workers are better off in a union.
Sincerely,
La Shawn K. Ford
IL State Representative, Eighth District
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Trump’s Labor Record
Workers Face Weak Job Growth and
Eroding Protections
| | As Labor Day approaches, President Donald Trump’s labor record is drawing criticism over weak job creation, slower wage growth, declining labor-force participation, and manufacturing job losses. The article also raises concerns about changes at the National Labor Relations Board and OSHA that could weaken worker protections. At the same time, public support for unions has reached its highest level in decades, potentially giving Democrats an opportunity to reconnect with working-class voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. | | |
Politics Reports
September 4, 2026
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How Did Trump Do on His Labor Day
Report Card?
| Happy Labor Day! (Well, almost.) There’s no better time to assess President Donald Trump’s labor market and labor policies in advance of November’s midterm elections. | | |
Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September, honors the contributions and achievements of American workers and the labor movement. It serves as both a day of rest and a reminder of the progress made in securing fair wages, safe workplaces, and workers’ rights. Rooted in late 19th-century labor struggles, the holiday highlights the value of hard work, union advocacy, and economic growth while marking the unofficial end of summer and the
start of the school year.
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National Today Reports
September 2, 2026
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Summer’s final fling has arrived in the form of Labor Day. Yes, most of us get the day off, but this holiday triggers mixed emotions. While summer still has 21 calendar days left, it’s time to get serious. School’s starting and there’s a sense that summer vacation is over. So what’s behind Labor Day — and how did it earn a place as a federal holiday?
| | Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day? -Kenneth C. Davis | |
U.S. Department of Labor Reports | Labor Daze - Pride, Chaos and Kegs on Labor’s First ‘Day’ | |
On the morning of September 5, 1882, a crowd of spectators filled the sidewalks of lower Manhattan near city hall and along Broadway. They had come early, well before the Labor Day parade marchers, to claim the best vantage points from which to view the first Labor Day parade. A newspaper account of the day described "...men on horseback, men wearing regalia, men with society aprons, and men with flags, musical instruments, badges, and all the other paraphernalia of a procession."
The police, wary that a riot would break out, were out in force that morning as well. By 9 a.m., columns of police and club-wielding officers on horseback surrounded city hall.
By 10 a.m., the Grand Marshall of the parade, William McCabe, his aides and their police escort were all in place for the start of the parade. There was only one problem: none of the men had moved. The few marchers that had shown up had no music.
According to McCabe, the spectators began to suggest that he give up the idea of parading, but he was determined to start on time with the few marchers that had shown up. Suddenly, Mathew Maguire of the Central Labor Union of New York (and probably the father of Labor Day) ran across the lawn and told McCabe that two hundred marchers from the Jewelers Union of Newark Two had just crossed the ferry — and they had a band!
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"Justice is never given; it is exacted and the struggle must be continuous for freedom is never a final fact, but a continuing evolving process to higher and higher levels of human, social, economic, political and religious relationship."
-A. Phillip Randolph, Labor and civil rights leader
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Chicago Celebrates Labor Day Weekend
Events, Festivals & Fun Across the City
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Chicago is celebrating Labor Day Weekend with a variety of events, festivals, live music, food, and family-friendly activities happening throughout the city. From neighborhood gatherings to major downtown attractions, there are plenty of ways for Chicagoans and visitors to enjoy the long weekend and celebrate the
unofficial end of summer.
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Illinois Reports
September 4, 2026
| Celebrate Labor Day Responsibly | |
For most Americans, Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. It’s the last nationally celebrated fair-weather holiday of the year, and many Illinoisians will toast the end of summer while grilling, boating, swimming and enjoying alcohol. The Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) reminds all celebrants to plan ahead, keep safety in mind, and know your limits.
If you plan on consuming alcohol, celebrate safely with the tips below:
- Take breaks and drink plenty of water.
- Eat food before, during, and after consuming alcohol.
- Never drink and drive: schedule a rideshare or take public transportation as needed.
- Watch for signs of overconsumption and contact emergency services if needed.
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Choose Chicago Reports
September 5, 2026
| Labor Day weekend in Chicago | |
Catch the last wave of summer warmth as you cruise along Chicago’s majestic waterways by boat or kayak, enjoy open-air dining on a rooftop or patio, cycle along scenic lakefront paths, experience free live music under the stars, and so much more.
Make the most of Labor Day weekend in Chicago with these top activities and events.
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ABC 7 News Reports
September 6, 2026
| Chicagoans enjoying festivals, final beach days on Labor Day weekend, unofficial end of summer | |
CHICAGO (WLS) -- There was great weather Sunday in Chicago for people to enjoy some of the last summer festivals and the final beach days this Labor Day holiday weekend.
Several festivals were being held Sunday, including the Jazz Fest and Fiesta Boricua.
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ABC 7 News Reports
September 5, 2026
| Chicago Labor Day Parade returns to Southeast Side for first time since 2022 | |
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Union members, retirees and labor advocates gathered Saturday for the Chicago Labor Day Parade.
The event honors the city's labor movement and the workers who helped shape it. The parade returned for the first time since 2022 and brought together dozens of unions in the East Side neighborhood.
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NBC News Reports
September 6, 2026
| Dozens of major retailers will be open on Labor Day. Full list | |
The unofficial end to summer will arrive on Monday as the nation celebrates Labor Day, a holiday honoring American workers and their contributions.
As a result, many people will have the day off work.
The U.S. Postal Service and Illinois Secretary of State offices will be closed for the holiday.
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CBS News Reports
September 5, 2026
| Chicago announces Labor Day weekend safety plan, with focus on events, violence prevents and water safety | |
Safety is top of mind for city officials ahead of one of Chicago's busiest weekends of the summer.
Labor Day events, major festivals, and concerts are expected to draw large crowds across the city.
City leaders said additional police officers and other public safety resources will be deployed throughout the holiday weekend, including along the lakefront, where large crowds are expected for the final weekend of the beach season. The weekend will also feature last Navy Pier fireworks show of the summer.
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The Origins of Labor Day
A Comprehensive Look Back at Its History and Significance
| Labor Day originated in the late 19th century as a response to harsh working conditions and the growing labor movement. First celebrated in 1882 in New York City, it became a federal holiday in 1894 to honor workers’ contributions and advocate for fair labor practices. The day stands as a symbol of progress in workers’ rights, union solidarity, and the fight for better working conditions, reflecting America’s commitment to valuing its workforce. | |
History Reports
August 28, 2026
| Labor Day 2025 will occur on Monday, September 1. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans and is celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events. | |
U.S. Department of Labor Reports
September 1, 2025
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Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.
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USA Today Reports
September 1, 2025
| What is Labor Day, why is it celebrated? Here's the holiday's history | |
With students back in school and pumpkin-flavored treats returning to menus, the end of summer, unofficially marked by Labor Day, is here.
During the three-day Labor Day weekend, many Americans will travel, shop for deals online and in-store and maybe sneak in one final visit to the beach or neighborhood pool.
However, the federal holiday is much more than just the summer's last hurrah. Observed each year on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is a celebration of the hard-won achievements of America's labor movement and a recognition of the contributions workers have made to the nation's prosperity.
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Time Reports
August 16, 2024
| How the History of Slavery in America Offers an Important Labor Day Lesson | |
In Jan. 1, 1863, the president of the United States issued one of the most important executive orders in American history: Proclamation 95, more commonly known as the Emancipation Proclamation. Though the Emancipation Proclamation is not usually invoked as an example of labor regulation, it is among the most important such measures in American history. The proclamation — and, later, the 13th Amendment — constrained slaveholders’ economic liberties in order to offer basic freedoms to
enslaved workers.
As Labor Day approaches, we should reflect not just on the holiday’s own important history, but also on the much longer fight to protect American workers. W.E.B. DuBois famously described the American Civil War as a “General Strike” because of the hundreds of thousands of enslaved people who stopped their work, many of whom also joined the Union Army. Though this strike was quite different from those of the union movements that would inspire the holiday decades later, both produced fundamentally important labor regulations. And revisiting the history of American slavery offers a powerful example of what business can look like when the law prioritizes property over people.
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America's Black Holocaust
Museum Reports
September 8, 2021
| On Labor Day, we remember the Black women who helped win labor rights |
Upon launching NAWE in 1921, Nannie Helen Burroughs, suffragist, educator, organizer and later a mentor to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., crafted a groundbreaking national agenda to integrate comprehensive labor reform into the movement for voting rights. In a prophetic 1915 article in the Crisis newspaper, Burroughs declared that “when the ballot is put into the hands of the American woman the world is going to get a correct estimate of the Negro woman. It will find her a tower of strength of which poets have never sung, orators have never spoken, and scholars have never written.
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Unpaid Black Labor Built the
United States
| | Black Labor in the Post-Civil War South | The Black History Behind Labor Day | | |
A. Philip Randolph
Champion of Labor Rights and Civil Rights Leadership
| | A. Philip Randolph was a pioneering labor and civil rights leader who dedicated his life to fighting for racial equality and economic justice. As the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first predominantly African American labor union, he played a key role in improving working conditions for Black workers. Randolph also helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, cementing his legacy as a powerful voice for labor rights and civil rights in America. | |
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History Reports
November 21, 2021
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A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and civil rights activist who founded the nation’s first major Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. In the 1930s, his organizing efforts helped end both racial discrimination in defense industries and segregation in the U.S. armed forces. Randolph was also a principal organizer of the March on Washington in 1963, which paved the way for passage of the Civil Rights Act the following year.
| A. Philip Randolph - Civil Rights Pioneer | |
Damage Reports
September 3, 2023
| A. Philip Randolph on Labor Day and Racial Justice |
A. Philip Randolph founded the Brotherhood for Sleeping Car Porters in 1925 and was president of the African-American-led labor union until his retirement in 1968. He was also the driving force, along with Bayard Rustin, behind the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 and the Freedom Budget campaign of the mid-1960's (Damage editor Benjamin Fong has an article about the latter in the most recent issue of the Catalyst journal). The following is the text of an address given by him on Labor Day, September 4th, 1967 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.
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This Labor Day is marked by a world in crisis, change and revolution.
Pope John XXIII's Encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) reflects the vision of a world order—and a challenge to modern man with the fearful weaponry of the atom bomb.
A major threat to the peace of the world, as a result of the failure of the leaders of the great nation-states to resolve by negotiation the existing disputes among the great powers, is the lack of effective action to narrow the widening gap between the white affluent nations and the disadvantaged, increasingly discontented two-thirds peoples of color of mankind that live in poverty and degradation.
The need for effective action to relax the growing tensions and to arrest the present trend, which allows the rich nations to become richer and the poor nations to become poorer, is overwhelmingly great and imperative. Without achieving this objective the conflict between the house of "haves" and the house of "have-nots" will be as great a threat to the peace of the world as nuclear weapons of war.
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Florida Times Union Reports
September 3, 2024
| Mark Woods: Labor Day a natural time to remember A. Philip Randolph | |
Adonnica Toler, museum administrator at the Ritz Theatre and Museum in LaVilla, came back to her office one day and found something waiting for her.
Leaning against a chair was a yellowed document, preserved behind glass in a blue frame.
“Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters,” it said at the top, “Doth Grant This Certificate of Affiliation ..."
More on A. Philip Randolph:Asa Philip Randolph: The often-overlooked inspiration for the March on Washington
Watch the videos: New footage emerges of Jacksonville's Ax Handle Saturday, Aug. 27, 1960
| A Philip Randolph For Jobs and Freedom | Click Image Below to Learn More | | Rep. Ford's Daily Job Leads | | |
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