Labor Day in the United States
is celebrated on the first Monday of September in the United States. This holiday is a national tribute to the
contribution of the American Worker to the health of the nation. The American Worker and the labor movement are
the genesis behind many of the rights and protections in the workplace
Americans value today.
Yet the history of the
American Worker and the labor movement may be of little note in your
curriculum. There are regional
differences in the attention state curriculums give to labor history. States
with more agrarian histories have fewer direct links to the labor movement.
Further labor laws offer varying level rights and protections for workers in
different industries.
How
do you bring the story of the American Worker and the labor movement to your
classroom? Do you do focus on events or
leaders? Do you teach about labor laws, activists, or workplace disasters?
Here are a few resources to you can consider to bring
the history of the Labor Movement to your classroom.
What is your favorite resource for teaching labor
history? What do you recommend?
