This coming Monday, September 4, is Labor Day.  It’s a day of rest, a well deserved day of rest.

     The American Labor Day had its historic roots in the actions of two craftsmen, Matthew Maguire, a machinist, and Peter McGuire, a carpenter, who went on to become one of the founders of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.  In 1882, Maguire and McGuire (no relation) arranged the first Labor Day Parade in New York City.

      After several years of tradition building (including our custom of putting away the white summer clothes on the first Monday in September), Oregon made Labor Day a state holiday in 1887.  President Grover Cleveland declared it a national holiday in 1894.  It has been a key holiday in the United States ever since then.

     Many other nations celebrate their own version of Labor Day on May 1.  The First of May has become a politically charged day, with speeches and massive demonstrations.  By contrast, American workers simply take Labor Day off, despite our reputations for putting in long hours.  That’s the way it should be.  Even our lengthy political campaigns go blessedly silent over the long Labor Day weekend.  It’s a day to relax at the end of summer.

     Labor Day has always been associated with the union movement in the U.S., which is historically accurate.  American labor unions have led the way to many victories in the workplace, ranging from the concept of a “living wage” to most of the industrial safety measures we now take for granted.  Union members have fueled the rise of the American dreams of family, education, and home ownership.

     If a reminder of the dignity of labor is needed, the fifth anniversary of September 11 is approaching.  Remember that a large majority of the emergency responders who gave their lives during the World Trade Center calamity were union members.  They had a job to do – they never looked back.

     If there is one thread that connects South Boston residents with one another, it’s our work.  In one way or another we all work, often holding down two or three jobs at once.  We identify ourselves by the labor we perform.  When we meet someone new, we usually ask, “And what do you do?”  In South Boston, we are known by the jobs we have; we are proud of the work we do.  We often forget a person’s name, yet we rarely forget what he or she does for a living.  And as odd as this might sound, it’s fitting that once each year, we take a long, labor-free weekend to observe the dignity of labor.

     South Boston is filled with hard workers – construction craftspeople, emergency responders, newcomers with demanding business  positions, shop owners working long hours, risk-taking entrepreneurs, work-burdened professionals, and service industry employees of all descriptions.  Put away your tools, work clothes, pens, pencils, and papers.  Turn off your computers, Blackberrys, and those infernal cell phones.  This Monday, just lay back.

     South Boston Online hopes you returned from your summer vacation relaxed and refreshed.  Maybe you should think of spending Labor Day at home, avoiding traffic and resting up for work, school, whatever.  Get home Sunday evening, if you can.  A Labor Day cookout in the yard or a family get-together along the Southie beaches sounds good, doesn’t it?

     Labor Day is a kind of American Sabbath, so we hope it’s a day when you can relax totally and zone out in your own way.  Happy Labor Day.