Dozens gather at Emigrant Lake for Labor Day picnic

ASHLAND, Ore. — Dozens of people from labor unions and community partners went out to Emigrant Lake to celebrate Labor Day Monday.

The holiday marks the 125th anniversary of Labor Day being celebrated as a national holiday. The idea started in 1885 through municipal ordinances.

The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature but Oregon was the first state to adopt the law on February 21st, 1887. In 1884, congress made it a national holiday.

Now, people all across the United States come together on the first Monday of September to celebrate.

“It’s just bringing the workers together for a good time,” said Kevin Ferris with UFCW Local 555, “and talking about the struggles in the workplace, gain solidarity with all the unions and let everybody know that we’re not alone out there, that there’s a bigger group of people.”

The event was put on by local unions and community partners to celebrate the efforts of generations of working classes who fought for workers’ rights. Some of those rights include the eight-hour workday, the forty-hour workweek, retirement benefits and holidays.