The Deep Meaning of Labor Day

Recently, I received a text message from my granddaughter that was nothing short of delightful. Most grandparents would agree that any text from a grandchild is cherished and deeply appreciated. But this one in particular was a joy. She wondered if I knew anyone at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. 

A text from a grandchild can be delightful.

I was so delighted to be able to respond in the affirmative to my granddaughter and to reflect on the many workers at TMH I have grown to love over the years for their dedication to the health of our community. As a volunteer in the spiritual care department of the hospital and as a minister, it has been my joy to get to know many of the amazing employees there, and I feel honored to share these connections with my granddaughter as she launches on her first job since her recent graduation from college. 

This Monday our nation celebrates Labor Day, honoring the achievements and contributions of workers in our country.  According to the US Department of Labor website, both Peter J. McGuire, then general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners from New York, and Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882. And both attended the first Labor Day Parade on September 5,1882, in New York City. That first celebration lasted from 10 in the morning until nine at night with speeches, picnics, cigars, kegs of lager beer, and a crowd of nearly 25,000 union workers and their families. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday honoring workers and their achievements.

On the same US Department of Labor website, https://beta.dol.gov/about/history/hall-honor-inductees, there is an easily accessible Hall of Honor that “recognizes individuals and groups whose distinctive contributions to the field of labor have enhanced the quality of life of millions - yesterday, today, and for generations to come.” Inductees for the years 1989 through 2025 are listed and you can click on the name of each inductee to learn more. 

I was inspired by Helen Keller, named in 2010 for her work in founding the American Civil Liberties Union and her advocacy for people with disabilities. I appreciated Rev. Addie Wyatt, named in 2012 for her work in including women and minorities in the labor movement. I am grateful for John R. Commons, named to the Hall of Honor in 1989 for his work as the “spiritual father of Social Security.” 

The 2002 Inductee was deeply moving, honoring the rescue workers of September 11, where 1 in 7 of the 2,819 lives lost were rescue workers. And the more recent entry of 2022,recognizing the essential workers of the Coronavirus Pandemic, was also touching. Taking time to go through the list and read the brief description of each honoree’s contribution gives one a deeper appreciation of the intent of Labor Day, the significant impact of past workers on our wellbeing as a nation, and the possibilities for each of us going forward to make a difference.  

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL CIO) has a helpful and inclusive program online called “Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar,” replete with resources to include all faiths in the labor movement.

A lesser-known day that is a part of the Labor Day weekend is Labor Sunday. Starting in the 1890s, some churches began to set aside the Sunday before Labor Day as a time for elevating working people’s voices and experiences. By a resolution of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and was dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement. The “Social Creed of the Churches” that the Federal Council of Churches formulated in 1908 and the AFL endorsed in 1909, encouraged ending child labor, sweatshops, and hazardous, underpaid manufacturing. It promoted establishment of an eight-hour workday, a weekly day of rest, and a living-wage standard.  This partnership between the union organizers and the social gospel movement was important in strengthening the labor movement and accomplishing goals in response to industrialization. 

A “Social Creed for the 21^st Century” was formulated by the National Council of Churches  in 2007.  Building off the important goals of the “Social Creed of the Churches,” it reflectsa new era of globalization. The intent was to "offer a vision of a society that shares more and consumes less, seeks compassion over suspicion and equality over domination, and finds security in joined hands rather than massed arms."  

More recently, Pope Leo XIV has cautioned how current approaches to AI are already reshaping the world of work. Given AI’s potential to transform entire sectors of the economy, the Pope is encouraging deeper dialogue between workers and decision makers to discern common causes and shared solutions, honoring work and workers alike. In Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII cautioned that the Industrial Revolution led to a troubling gap in wealth and power, deepening inequality and fueling social instability. Today, as we experience an “AI revolution,” we too must learn from the past. 

While I know that some faith communities still celebrate Labor Sunday, it is difficult to find recent information on such celebrations. The United Church of Christ, which consistently recognizes Labor Sunday through the years, posted a tool kit and updated liturgy for the day through their Minister for Economic Justice for 2026. Beautiful words are woven together to remind us of the ongoing heart of Labor Day, like this prayer: 

Loving, Working, Creator God, help us to build a new world in the midst of the old.

A world where all workers are valued.

A world where those who clean houses are also able to buy houses to live in.

A world where those who grow food can also afford to eat their fill.

A world where those who serve and care for others are, themselves, also served and cared for. A just world. Amen. 

Dr. Don Zorn adorns our refrigerator as our longtime friend and physician who is one of the TMH retired employees our family deeply appreciates.

Some Reform Jewish communities think of Labor Day as a “national Shabbat,” a day of rest celebrating the work and achievement of workers in America throughout her history. Supporting workers and labor unions reflects core Jewish values of justice, dignity, and fair treatment. I am grateful that the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL CIO) has a helpful and inclusive program online called “Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar,” replete with resources to include all faiths in the labor movement. 

It is exciting as a granny to think of my grandchild meeting with employees I admire at TMH as she enters the workforce. I pray wisdom and discernment for her and others who are making their way in the uncharted waters of the tech revolution. And in the words of the beloved Dolly Parton, who was a hard worker always, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose. And do it with purpose.”

Happy Labor Day!