On September 5, 1882, approximately 10,000 workers marched in the first Labor Day parade in New York City. Organized by the Central Labor Union, the procession moved from City Hall to Union Square and then to an uptown park for speeches and festivities. Many participants took unpaid time off to make a public statement about workers’ rights and the value of organized labor. The event celebrated industrial workers and called attention to demands for shorter hours and better conditions. The success of the parade helped spur the adoption of Labor Day as a holiday in various states and eventually at the national level in 1894.
