Here just this morning we were talking about this at work, chat gpt answered it:
The distinction between International Workers’ Day on May 1 and Labor Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the first Monday in September, arises from historical and political reasons. While International Workers’ Day was established to commemorate the Haymarket affair and to symbolize the struggles and solidarity of the labor movement worldwide, the U.S. government chose to avoid celebrating Labor Day on May 1, partly to dissociate it from any socialist and anarchist movements that had adopted May Day as their day of celebration.
Instead, the United States adopted Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894 following a proposal by the labor movement to honor the American worker. The choice of September was influenced by the successful first celebration of Labor Day on September 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by the Central Labor Union. This date was selected partly because it was midway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving, providing a holiday in the long gap between the two. The decision effectively provided a distinctly American identity to the holiday, focusing on celebrating the economic and social achievements of workers, separate from the more politically charged connotations of May Day.
Here just this morning we were talking about this at work, chat gpt answered it:
The distinction between International Workers’ Day on May 1 and Labor Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the first Monday in September, arises from historical and political reasons. While International Workers’ Day was established to commemorate the Haymarket affair and to symbolize the struggles and solidarity of the labor movement worldwide, the U.S. government chose to avoid celebrating Labor Day on May 1, partly to dissociate it from any socialist and anarchist movements that had adopted May Day as their day of celebration.
Instead, the United States adopted Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894 following a proposal by the labor movement to honor the American worker. The choice of September was influenced by the successful first celebration of Labor Day on September 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by the Central Labor Union. This date was selected partly because it was midway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving, providing a holiday in the long gap between the two. The decision effectively provided a distinctly American identity to the holiday, focusing on celebrating the economic and social achievements of workers, separate from the more politically charged connotations of May Day.