Monday, September 7 is Labor Day (or Labour Day, I guess) in Canada and the US.  I was kind of surprised to find out today that the holiday originated in Canada.  What can I say – I was curious to learn more about this holiday.

Labour Day has its roots in the union movement, back in the 1870s when it was mandatory to work more than 58 hours per week in some trades.    There were strikes around this time when workers wanted to limit their work week to 58 hours.  Eventually it became a political issue and, over time, the labour movement gained strength (numbers) and power (political clout).  The holiday was spun out of those events.  You can argue that although many of us don’t participate in labour unions, we all get to benefit from the work they did.

A lot has changed since those days, well over 130 years ago.  Today many of us work in jobs and industries that the 1870s worker could not imagine; likewise, many of us are fortunate enough to work in clean, safe, and relatively pleasant environments, compared to conditions that other people have had to endure.   Today, it’s just a civic holiday that we all come to expect and enjoy… assuming we don’t have to work that day.

Funny thing, though:  even though the normal work week is 40 hours or less for most people, many of us work longer than that.  Sometimes this is by choice; others it’s by circumstance, whether it’s a second (or third or…) job or the demands of a profession.  Some contend that there is a developing class of overextended people, working long hours in pursuit of goals, dreams, and big ideas.

Will many of those people be working on Labour Day?  Probably.  To them it’s probably another day to get stuff done.

Is there a need for Labour Day 2.0?

Instead of having a day to celebrate more humane working conditions,  maybe there should be a day to celebrate the human ability to do new, bold, challenging, and exciting things?  It would make an interesting contrast to the more traditional day of rest on Labour Day.  Both are equally valid.  One celebrates the rights and dignity of the work to have a life outside of work; the second would celebrate work inside of a life, if you will.

Food for thought.  Happy Labour Day!

EDIT:  fellow blogger Rob Diana has a good Labor Day post as well.

EDIT:  here’s something from Web Worker Daily about wrestling your work back into its box.

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