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MSU professor shares roots of the holiday we now call Labor Day

Construction workers on the job.
Photo by dynamix on Freeimages.com
Construction workers on the job.

Dr. Stephen McIntyre is a history professor at Missouri State University.

In this episode of our local program Making Democracy Work, host Lynn Schirk speaks with Dr. Stephen McIntyre, history professor at MSU and specialist in the American labor movement.

McIntire talks about the first labor movements dating back to 1882 in New York. He says in 1894 congress established the federal holiday we continue to celebrate today — Labor Day — designed to recognize workers, unions and American society.