Pride, chaos and kegs
on labor’s first ‘day’
On the morning of Sept. 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 La-
bor Day Parade. A newspaper account
of the day described “... men on horse-
back, men wearing regalia, men with
society aprons, and men with flags, mu-
sical instruments, badges, and all the
other paraphernalia of a procession.”
The police, wary that a riot would
break out, were out in force that morn-
ing as well. By 9 a.m., columns of po-
lice 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 specta-
tors 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
8-Hour Day, Paid Sick Leave,
Higher Wages, Health Insur-
ance, Overtime Pay, Pensions,
Safer Working Conditions,
Paid Holidays, Job
Security, Severance Pay, Paid
Vacations,
Maternity Leave
The preceding were brought to you by the
men and women of organized labor, who won
these benefits at the bargaining table and set
the standard for all working Americans.
McCabe that two hundred marchers
from the Jewelers Union of Newark
Two had just crossed the ferry — and
they had a band!
Just after 10 a.m., the marching jew-
elers turned onto lower Broadway —
they were playing “When I First Put
This Uniform On,” from Patience, an
opera by Gilbert and Sullivan. The po-
lice escort then took its place in the
street. When the jewelers marched past
McCabe and his aides, they followed in
behind. Then, spectators began to join
the march. Eventually there were 700
men in line in the first of three divisions
of Labor Day marchers. Final reports of
the total number of marchers ranged
from 10,000 to 20,000 men and
women.
With all of the pieces in place, the
parade marched through lower Manhat-
tan. The New York Tribune reported
that, “The windows and roofs and even
the lamp posts and awning frames were
occupied by persons anxious to get a
good view of the first parade in New
York of workingmen of all trades united
in one organization.”
At noon, the marchers arrived at
Reservoir Park, the termination point of
the parade. While some returned to
work, most continued on to the post-pa-
rade party at Wendel’s Elm Park at 92nd
Street and Ninth Avenue; even some
unions that had not participated in the
parade showed up to join in the post-pa-
rade festivities that included speeches,
a picnic, an abundance of cigars and,
“lager beer kegs... mounted in every
conceivable place.”
From 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. that night,
nearly 25,000 union members and their
families filled the park and celebrated
the very first, and almost entirely disas-
trous, Labor Day.
(Editor’s Note: This account of La-
bor Day is from the archives of the U.S.
Department of Labor.)
Oregon Historical
Society extends
NECA-IBEW exhibit
The “NECA/IBEW Local 48: 100
Years of a Powerful Partnership” ex-
hibit at the Oregon Historical Society
has been extended to Oct. 13.
The exhibit opened May 13 in con-
junction with the 100th anniversary of
the International Brotherhood of Elec-
trical Workers Local 48, and its partner-
ship with the Oregon-Columbia Na-
tional Electrical Contractors
Association. It was scheduled to close
Aug. 4.
The display includes a 100-page re-
search book broken down decade-by-
decade, as well as a Douglas fir presen-
tation board connected with knob and
tube wiring that summarizes the histor-
ical highlights. There are interactive
tools, displays of equipment from days
gone by, and the artistry of conduit
Hope You Enjoy a
Great Weekend ...
Happy Labor
Day!
bending.
IBEW Local 48 and NECA mem-
bers get free admission to the museum.
For proof of membership, just provide a
copy of a dues receipt or business card
at the admissions counter. Admission is
also free to all residents of Multnomah
County, and to children 5 and under.
The Oregon Historical Society is lo-
cated at 1200 SW Park Ave., Portland.
Salem Building &
Construction Trades
Council
Joe Bowers, President
Leroy Marney, Secretary Treasurer
541-812-1771
from
O PERATING E NGINEERS
L OCAL 701
P AYS T RIBUTE
TO A MERICA ’ S W ORKERS
T HIS L ABOR D AY 2013
Executive Board Members
NELDA WILSON - Business Manager & Financial Secretary
ROBIN WICKLANDER - President
KEVIN MILLER - Vice President
STEVE BRADLEY - Recording Corresponding Secretary
BOE ELLIS - Treasurer
DAVE CARTER - Conductor
ROBERT CRANE - Guard
MIKE THUN - Dist. I Rep.
HAROLD CHEVRIER – Dist. II Rep.
CLIFTON G. SMITH - Dist. III Rep.
RAY AKERS - Dist. IV Rep.
RICHARD LAUDERBACK - Dist. V Rep.
DYLAN McCOMISKEY - Dist. V (at-large) Rep.
Dispatch
Deanna Robles
Jon Stoltenberg
Office Staff
Greg Butcher
Loraine Draper
Darren Glebe
Cherry Harris
Ricky Iboa
Elaine Jeremy
Gene Kidd
Jack Miller
Rod Osgood
Traci Pardee
Melissa Savage
Talia Stoessel
Barbara Watts
Tom Wishard
555 E AST F IRST S TREET , G LADSTONE , OR 97027
503-650-7701
PAGE 18
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
AUGUST 16, 2013