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City of Urbana Business Offices Closed for Labor Day

Date: September 5, 2022 - 8:00am to 5:00pm

Labor Day 2022

In honor LABOR DAY, the City of Urbana regular business offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2022.  
A LITTLE LABOR DAY HISTORY 
Having the first Monday in September off from work was significant for American workers in 1894, when Labor Day was declared a national holiday. Working conditions in the country’s factories, railroads, mills, and mines were grim. Employees, including many children, were often required to work 12 hours a day, six days a week, in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces. Supervision was harsh and punishments were handed out to those who talked or sang as they worked. 
Calls for shorter workdays and better conditions came from worker strikes and rallies in the decades after the Civil War. On Sept. 5, 1882, union leaders in New York City organized what’s thought to be the first Labor Day parade. Tens of thousands of labor union members—bricklayers, jewelers, typographers, dress and cloak makers, and many other tradespeople—took unpaid leave and marched with their locals. The day culminated in picnics, speeches, fireworks, and dancing. 

 

Last modified:Friday, October 14, 2022 - 12:50
- Author: BridgetB