( CNN ) -- Labor Day is n't only a commemoration of American workers -- it 's also a reminder of the often oppressive power of employers backed by the law and muscle of the U.S. government . The history of the Labor Day tells the tale . On May 1 , 1886 , tens of thousands of workers protested in cities all across the United States to demand an eight-hour workday . At the time , most American laborers worked 18- or even 20-hour workdays . But police responded aggressively to the peaceful protests . Two days later , while workers were meeting to plan further protests in Chicago , police showed up and beat and shot at the group at random . Six unarmed workers were killed by the police . The next day , outraged Chicagoans attended what was initially a peaceful protest in Haymarket Square . The peace fell apart near the end , when police advanced on the crowd . Someone who was never identified exploded a bomb and killed a police officer . The cops responded by opening fire on the protesters . In the darkness , about a dozen workers and police were killed . The event influenced the history of labor in America and internationally for years to come . Martial law was declared across the country . The police blamed workers for the violence and , in particular , some Socialist Party labor organizers involved in the protests . Several were tried for murder and convicted . That fall , one man died in his cell and four were executed . In response , all around the world , workers movements adopted May 1 to commemorate the Haymarket Massacre and to symbolize the ongoing fight for worker rights and worker justice . So why does n't the United States celebrate Labor Day on May 1 as well ? On May 11 , 1894 , again in Chicago , workers at the Pullman Palace Car Co. called for a strike to protest wage cuts and the killing of a worker . In solidarity , the American Railroad Union called for a boycott on working in all Pullman railway cars . Within a matter of days , train traffic west of Detroit ground to a halt . In response , President Grover Cleveland called in the Army to suppress the strikes . Protests broke out . At least 26 people were killed . The government collusion with big business , both in the court system and in the deployment of the military , was unprecedented and severe . The labor community was enraged . And so , the story goes , President Cleveland , realizing he had to do something quick to appease the labor movement , pressed for Labor Day to become a national holiday . But Cleveland worried that tying the holiday to May 1 would encourage Haymarket-like protests and tacitly strengthen communist and socialist movements that had backed the May 1 commemoration around the globe . And so through a twist of choices and coincidences , the first Monday of September was chosen to be the official `` Labor Day '' in the United States . Labor Day , then , should n't just serve as a commemoration of the hard work of American laborers and all they have contributed to America 's history , infrastructure and prosperity . Labor Day should also serve as a reminder of not only how companies can undervalue and undermine their workers but how our government provide dangerous or even deadly levels of support to bad employers . Even today , we know what it takes to improve the lives and prosperity of America 's workers . Unions raise the wages of workers by roughly 20 % and raise total compensation -- including wages and benefits after union dues are deducted -- by 28 % . Raising the minimum wage helps low wage workers while pumping more spending power into the economy as a whole . And strengthening worker safety laws and other protections is good for workers and for a productive and safe economy . But when some in government , especially Republicans , undermine the ability of workers to form a union or erode wage and safety laws , they 're doing the dirty work for big business at the expense of American workers . It 's certainly less severe than calling in the Army to defend the profit interests of big corporations , but the effect is the same : Republicans taking the side of CEOs and wealthy shareholders and standing against ordinary working Americans . Study after study after study -- not to mention the entire history of our economy -- shows what policies are good for ordinary , hardworking Americans . But Republicans , who rhetorically say they support ordinary Americans , consistently stand against these measures and stand for anything that would give more power and leeway to big businesses . When we celebrate Labor Day , we should remember that government is n't always on the side of the American people -- no matter that we have a federal holiday that was created to distract us .
Sally Field : Labor Day reminds us of the power of employers , government over workers . Field : Milestones , Haymarket , and American Car Company galvanized movement . Kohn : President Cleveland created Labor Day to appease workers . Kohn : Workers are still fighting for increases in minimum wage and better safety laws .