On behalf of East County Magazine, we wish you and your family a very Happy Labor Day!
The first national Labor Day was adopted by Congress in 1894 and signed into law by President Taft, following a tradition began by New York in 1884 followed by several other states. Today we honor the contributions of American workers to our nation.
This year is a special occasion, since it marks the centennial celebration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The first Labor Department Secretary was a former coal miner who helped found the United Mine Workers Union.
Founded 100 years ago in 1913, the Department o f Labor has helped usher in many reforms and protections for workers that modern-day people may take for granted--such as the 40-hour work week and overtime pay, worker’ compensation for ill and injured employees, the Equal Pay act for women, laws to prevent discrimination based on race, outlawing child labor, enabling those with disabilities, and adopting OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Act to protect workers from dangers in the work place.
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