Labor Day Lessons and the History of Labor Unions

Within the next few days millions of laborers, and their families, will celebrate Labor Day. This holiday, which is observed on the first Monday in September, is dedicated to all American workers, and has been celebrated for more than 100 years. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1883 in New York City. This first Labor Day celebration was organized by New York's Central Labor Union. Workers, and their families, marched in a parade, and gathered at a local park for a picnic, concert, and to listen to speeches.

The labor movement in the United States has a rich history that dates back to 1607 when the first labor dispute occurred in the Jamestown Colony. Since then there have been countless other labor disputes and rebellions that have played a role in every major historical turning point in United States history. In 1866 the National Labor Union was the first to form. This union consisted of a variety of workers and the goal was simple, worker reform. Unfortunately, the union was short lived. However, in 1869 the Knights of Labor was formed by a group of workers in Philadelphia. The goal of this labor union was also simple, and the focus was on organizing all workers. Union members were often part of a secret society because many feared the consequences of what might happen if information was revealed. Over time, the need for unions increased, especially during important historical periods, such as the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the Progressive Era and the Great Depression.

America was built on the strength of the American worker. For example, just think about the development of the railroads that span across the United States. They were built by laborers. Some of these laborers were born in the United States, and some were brought over from other countries to work. Many of them worked long hours, received low or no wages, and endured many work-related hardships. Unions developed based on these injustices in the work place. As they further developed, unions pressured the government to implement legislation for work reform.

Today there are many labor unions in the United States. These unions represent thousands of members in various job fields. In addition, they hold a lot of political power, and politicians often seek union endorsements.

Since Labor Day is celebrated a day before school starts in some states, it would be a great topic for the first week. Below are some interesting lesson plans related to labor unions.

Labor Union Lesson Plans:

Working Mothers- Students analyze a table that shows the number of working mothers between 1955 and 2001. Students also use the Internet to look up information on the number of working mothers in the United States. This a great lesson for connecting math to United States history.

Labor Unions Fight- Students discuss and debate issues concerning the American Federation of Labor. In addition students are asked to interview members of a union and write an article about it.

Sweatshops around the World- Students examine case studies of labor issues in sweatshops around the world. Students learn about human rights violations involved with sweatshops. This lesson contains extensions to get students to be budding labor activists.

Migrant Workers- Farmingville is a film that focuses on migrant workers in New York. The film looks at both sides of the debate regarding laborers, and touches on the issue of illegal immigration. Teachers who decide to use this film would have to create a lesson plan and activities for this film.

Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta- This lesson is based on two labor pioneers. Students will focus on the theme of change starting with their community. They read about and do research on Huerta and Chavez. Students then define what a labor union does, and identifies important changes made by the unions.