Labor Day

is almost an oxymoron because most people do not work on

the holiday.

Some

consider Labor Day to be a day celebrating those who have

worked over the past year, rewarding them with an extra

day off and making a long weekend. Those who think that

are partially right.

The origins

of the holiday go back over 100 years. In 1894, railroad

workers for Pullman went on strike due to mass layoffs.

Many of the workers lived on property that was owned and

rent-controlled by Pullman. When many of the people were

put out of work, their rent stayed the same. The workers

and former workers organized, went on strike, and caused

havoc for a number of weeks.

President

Grover Cleveland deployed 12,000 troops and declared the

strike a federal crime. Violence erupted between the two

sides, thousands of men were injured and several soldiers

and workers died. The strike ended shortly afterward,

Aug. 3, 1894, but the striking workers proved themselves

a political priority in the upcoming elections, a

priority that must be appeased.

The workers

had come up with the idea of Labor Day almost two years

before the strike. After all the bloody turmoil, Congress

created and passed legislation quickly through both

houses, recognizing Labor Day as a national holiday.

Reluctantly, Cleveland signed the legislation to appease

the striking workers.

Labor Day

was now a national holiday, a day for union members to

come together. Interestingly, Cleveland was not reelected

that November, but the legislation stuck and the birth of

a three-day weekend began.

In 1898,

Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of

Labor, described the holiday as "the day for which

the toilers in past centuries looked forward, when their

rights and wrongs would be discussed. That the workers of

our day may not only lay down their tools of labor for a

holiday, but upon which they may touch shoulders in

marching phalanx and feel the stronger for it."

Today,

America is quite distanced from the origins of Labor Day.

In 1995, fewer than 15 percent of U.S. workers belonged

to unions. What was once conceived as a testament to the

labor unions' cause has become an extra day off before

the end of the summer. It is celebrated by most

companies, and federal, state and local government

employees also enjoy the extra day off. A large number of

people travel during the long weekend to have one more

day of festive summer fun.

AAA Auto

Club South estimates that 34.8 million Americans will

travel 100 miles or more over the holiday. That number

would be the second highest number of travelers ever.

This near record number also comes despite an 18-cent

increase in gas prices over the same period last year.

The Southeast is second only to the West in providing the

most auto travelers.

There will

be plenty to do in the area this weekend. First and

foremost, it's high school and college football kickoff

weekend. All of the local teams will play either Friday

or Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Secondly,

the 29th annual Powers Crossroads festival will take

place in Newnan. The festival will feature arts and

crafts, food and entertainment.

Callaway

Gardens has a full weekend of activities planned. The

gardens will feature a triathlon, as well as a hot air

balloon festival, and its usual assortment of biking,

swimming, fishing and hiking.

So, while

most Americans will fire up the grill, throw on a pair of

shorts and enjoy the beautiful weather before heading

back to work without a day off until Thanksgiving, almost

no one will think of the workers who went on strike

against unfair labor practices. As you watch the first

full weekend of college football or the Braves as they

try to enter the playoffs once again, remember that as

time has passed, things have improved for the American

worker.

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