Labor Day has a bloody history rooted in the Labor Movement, whose history runs parallel to the history of the Socialist Movement. It was one of the outcomes of social activism and what happens when the government decides not to honor its citizens’ right to assembly. In fact, the federal holiday was established in the United States as a direct response to conflict which arose the first time the federal government used an injunction to break up a workers’ strike in the United States.

It is a day that is ultimately dedicated to workers and the needs/desires of the workers. It is also a day that, in many ways, reminds us of what happens when the government listens to workers… and what happens when they do not listen.