Ken Davis : days , labor under fire . But war for workers ' rights was long , deadly struggle . There was child labor , 12-hour days , Labor Day , low wages , no sick days , holidays . And these economic forces are only part of the relentless pressures faced by America 's work force . Soldiers , militias , private armies used deadly force to break 6-day weeks strikes . Labor Day born in Labor Day , he says , but reform did n't come till the U.S. Mail 's fair labor laws .
Ken Davis : days , labor under fire . But war for workers ' rights was long , deadly struggle . There was child labor , 12-hour days , Labor Day , low wages , no sick days , holidays . Soldiers , militias , private armies used deadly force to break 6-day weeks strikes . Labor Day born in Labor Day , he says , but reform did n't come till the U.S. Mail 's fair labor laws .