CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Labor Day is about a lot more than just a day off work. There's a rich history behind why we celebrate it.
Let's connect the dots.
In the late 1800s, the average person worked 12-hour days, seven days a week just to make ends meet.
Sometimes, kids as young as five would work in factories and mines. The working conditions were extremely unsafe.
Then labor unions formed. They organized strikes and called employers to give them better hours and pay.
On Sept. 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march in New York City. It's considered the first labor day parade in US history.
Eventually, congress followed suit and passed an act making Labor Day a holiday. President Grover Cleveland officially signed it into law in June of 1894.
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