On Monday, Sept. 2, Canadians will mark Labour Day, the end of the last long weekend of the summer.
Weekend festivities will include Canadian Football League games, parades and other festivals. For students, it marks the last day off before school resumes.
But the Labour Day weekend deserves to be treated as more than a long weekend at the end of the summer.
This is a day to honour workers and to reflect on the rights of working people in Canada.
While Labour Day was first observed in 1894, it has its origins more than 150 years ago, when a labour dispute in Toronto led to the enactment of the Trade Unions Act.
At issue in that strike by the Toronto Typographical Union was a nine-hour workday.
Later, in the spring of 1919, the Winnipeg General Strike was a response to high unemployment rates and inflation, and a quest for fair wages. That strike resulted in other strikes, across the country.
Other efforts to improve wages and working conditions came during the Great Depression in the 1930s as well as through other protests and negotiations since that time.
Over the years, more steps have been taken to improve rights and conditions for workers in Canada.
Some of these have been won by lobbying that led to stronger legal protections for workers, whether unionized or not.
In other cases, earnest negotiations between unions and employers have led to incremental gains, year after year and contract after contract, for workers and their families.
These changes have included improved wages, benefits, workplace safety regulations, child labour laws, maternity leave, sick leave, medical and dental coverage, and more.
These efforts should not be taken lightly. Fair wages, safe working conditions and other measures help to ensure a healthy workplace environment, which benefits everyone. A dignified job puts food on the table, shelter overhead, and allows for a comfortable retirement at the end of a working life.
Labour Day is a time to reflect on improvements for workers. But a single day is not enough. Working people deserve respect and appreciation every day of the year.
鈥� Black Press
