Labor Day came as early as it can this year. The first Monday of September can be as late as September 7, but this year, Labor Day was September 1. We celebrated with a barbecue dinner. Since our family celebrations took place in the late afternoon and early evening, I had most of the day to attend to a variety of other activities. In the morning, I went for a bike ride around our community. There were many people out and about, beginning their day with walks, bike rides, and trips to coffee shops and cafes. Some holidays are observed differently in Canada than in the United States, but Labor Day is a holiday that we share. Although tourist travel from Canada is down sharply this year, there were quite a few Canadians who had come to town to spend the holiday at their cottages and condos. After my bike ride, I made a trip to the hardware store and stopped at the grocery store to pick up a couple of items I had forgotten to purchase on my last trip.

At both stores where I made purchases, I thanked the clerks for working on Labor Day. I could have easily avoided shopping on the holiday, but it was convenient for my schedule to pick up a few things. The store clerks weren’t the only ones who didn’t get a holiday yesterday. In our area, garbage collection was on its usual schedule. I saw the trucks out making their rounds as I rode my bike. We are on an every-other-week pickup schedule for garbage and recycling, so it wasn’t a day for that for us. However our curbside compost pickup is on the alternate weeks. Ours was picked up right on schedule yesterday. That means that not only were the truck drivers making their pickups, but the materials facility was open and running to receive all of the items picked up.

The coffee shops and cafes probably had a few extra workers scheduled for their busy day yesterday, and I’m sure that the cleaners in the motels and vacation rentals were putting in long hours to keep up with the extra traffic. And, as expected, law enforcement, firefighters, ambulance drivers, and hospital workers were all making their rounds and doing their work.

It struck me as slightly strange that all the professional people received a paid holiday yesterday, while many who have other jobs had to work. Bankers, government workers, lawyers, brokers, and other white-collar workers all received a paid holiday. Labor Day is a holiday that honors and recognizes the workers who contribute to the quality of life in our country. The history of Labor Day in Canada is very similar to the holiday’s US history. Both countries officially established a national holiday in 1894. The holiday was first observed in Canada, specifically in Toronto, following the 1872 Toronto printers’ strike. In the US, New York held its first Labor Day Celebration in 1882. President Grover Cleveland enacted the Federal Holiday law following the Pullman Strike in the United States.

I’m sure that some of the people who worked yesterday were glad to do so and happy to receive holiday pay. The lowest-paid hourly workers, however, probably didn’t receive any extra pay for working on the holiday. Many employers hire multiple part-time workers instead of offering full-time employment to avoid the cost of providing benefits to their employees. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that the cleaning staff and cafe workers didn’t get any extra pay for their work yesterday. They were just glad to have the hours and pay to support their families. A lot of them struggle to make ends meet. A minimum-wage job is insufficient to cover the costs of housing and groceries. Many workers hold multiple jobs to make ends meet. Those workers are just one accident or illness away from financial disaster, living from paycheck to paycheck. Without adequate medical insurance, it takes very little for them to fall into debt.

Many people celebrate Labor Day with little thought to the holiday's history or the sacrifices made by laborers to improve working conditions for all. Our celebration primarily served as a recognition of the end of summer. Our grandchildren who live in Washington started school with a three-day week last week. This week, they’ll go four days, and next week, they’ll be back to the five-day-a-week schooling. Our grandson in South Carolina had his first day of school on August 7, so he is already into the academic schedule. Having a long weekend allowed his family to take a trip to the beach before the cooler weather sets in.

Over supper, we discussed our summer and the adventures we had shared. We also asked our grandchildren to share one goal that they have for this year at school. We planned to walk to a nearby candy store for ice cream for dessert, but when we arrived, they were all out of ice cream. Last night was their last day of business before closing for the winter. There were many other treats, and we shared a bag of saltwater taffy and a few chocolates. It was another sign that things are winding down in our tourist town. Other businesses will soon close or reduce their hours for the winter.

In honor of all of the people who work to support our community, I hope to make the practice of thanking them for their work extend beyond Labor Day. I intend to say “Thank You” more often to those who serve me. I am not wealthy, but I can afford to tip those who work for low wages. Labor Day is a reminder to me not to forget all of those who work hard behind the scenes without much recognition.

Thanks to all who have worked hard and contributed to the life we share.