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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region's history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.
The 1890s marked a turbulent time in United States' history.
Industrialization created more jobs, but the hazardous working conditions caused discontent among the workers. There were three major labor conflicts during the early part of the decade: the Homestead Lockout in 1892, the Cripple Creek Miners' Strike in 1894, and the Pullman Boycott in 1894.
Each of these illustrated the major issues the workers had, which centered around the idea of being able to negotiate through a labor union and collectively bargain for better wages, shorter work days and weeks, and safer working conditions. However, it was the aftermath of the Pullman Boycott that finally pushed President Grover Cleveland and Congress to establish Labor Day as a federal holiday.
The economic depression in 1893 left the American people feeling desperate, especially as the unemployed surpassed over three million, which was half of the working population at this time.
In the little town of Pullman, which was established by George Pullman, the people were employed, but the only one truly benefitting was George.
He created the model town and controlled every aspect of the company and the lives of his workers.
On paper, the town of Pullman sounded like a dream since George advertised amenities such as parks, libraries, markets, small shops and a hotel.
This was to lure workers to live in one of the 1,800 units available to rent and work at his railroad car plant.
However, George controlled every aspect of the town, including the price of rent, which was up to 20% higher than other places; wages; and job stability.
George could raise rent, offer low wages, and evict and fire someone at a moment's notice.
While his workers struggled to make ends meet, George's railroad car plant accrued close to a $25 million surplus.
The workers, outraged and destitute, decided to protest in May of 1894 and enlisted the help of the American Railway Union (ARU) under the leadership of Eugene Debs.
The protest quickly escalated when over 90% of George's employees decided to strike and George refused to negotiate with the workers.
The ARU voted to boycott all Pullman railroad cars, and soon workers from 24 other railroad car companies showed their support to the Pullman workers by also striking.
Even though the strike and boycott remained peaceful, this was not the spin the major newspapers reported.
Instead, headlines such as "Wild Riot in Chicago" and "Mob is in Control" were the norm across America. This forced President Grover Cleveland to take drastic measures and send approximately 8,000 troops to the Chicago area, which led to violence.
It was estimated that the troops killed 25 workers and wounded over 60.
The presence of the army was not enough to squash the boycott, but an injunction by two judges in Chicago took care of this. Partaking in the boycott was now punishable by a jail sentence without a jury trial, and the ARU leader Debs was imprisoned. This allowed George to reopen his factory and hire new workers. It was clear the federal government was willing to side with industrialists over the workers, so President Cleveland was faced with quite a predicament.
Although Labor Day was first celebrated in New York City in 1882, and Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day an official holiday in 1887, it was not a federally recognized holiday until June 28, 1894. It is not coincidental that President Grover Cleveland asked Congress to pass legislation recognizing Labor Day as an official holiday while the Pullman strike and boycott was underway.
He was attempting to deescalate the issues that existed between workers and their employers, but this was a temporary solution at best. Today Labor Day means many of us are able to enjoy a day off from work and take time to enjoy the unofficial last day of summer. However, it is important to remember the sacrifices workers have made, some of them with their lives, that allow us to appreciate a long weekend.