Labor is the backbone of American life.We salute all of the laborers who make our economy work!

During the late 19th century when all the factory fires were happening somebody, somewhere decided that the workers deserved better conditions and the employers needed to be more responsible for the conditions under which their employees were working.

While most of us think of Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer, a day with family & friends, barbecues, perhaps one last run down the shore, and for many on the east coast of the U.S. it's also the day after which you're not supposed to wear white clothing (ha!), it's really a day to honor and celebrate those who labor to make everything run.

The true meaning behind the holiday is to celebrate workers and the labor movement that is responsible for delivering so many rights that we all enjoy today and oftentimes take for granted. Before The Movement began, many workers in the U.S. faced long hours, no weekends or holidays off, low wages and especially unsafe and oftentimes unhealthy working conditions. For a long time now, workers have come together and fought for labor rights by organizing and unionizing, winning rights such as the ability to collectively bargain, the five-day work week, the eight-hour work day, having family and medical leave. How about healthcare, retirement-security, occupational health & safety precautions (the formation of OSHA in 1970)? All of these moments are why we pause to honor and recognize the laborers who make this country work. Work that continues today - from minimum wage debates to wage theft, to how to support working families, it all was born of the earliest days of the Labor Movement.

Inquiry: How are you thinking about labor these days? There seems to be a shift underway... I'd love to hear your thoughts, so click here to tell me how you think about labor and the way it impacts the ways in which you live, love, work and lead?

fun fact: one of the earliest recorded strikes in the U.S. occurred in 1768 when New York journeymen tailors protested a wage reduction. Click here to read more . . .