This Monday is Labor Day, a time when most people celebrate the unoffical end of summer with one last vacation or family barbecue. Like many other holidays, however, some people can focus too much having a long weekend off from work or school and not enough of the meaning behind the day. 

Designated an official federal holiday in 1894, Labor Day is scheduled for the first Monday of September to recognize the achievements of the American Labor Movement. 

It’s a time to remember the American workers who struggled and advocated for better working conditions and livable wages. They fought to end child labor and institute better safety standards for adult workers. They promoted new concepts like paid time off and a 40-hour work week. 

The United States of America became a superpower in the 20th century thanks in large part to the grit and determination of our nation’s working class. In the generations that followed we saw factories close down and much of our county’s industrial power and production capabilities moved overseas. 

Is that the fault of workers because they insist on being treated fairly and with dignity? Absolutely not. The “American Dream” is the idea that through honest hard work everyone should be able to support themselves and their family. It means they can live a good life, put a roof over their head, put food on their table and retire when they grow old knowing they are financially secure. 

Now 128 years after Labor Day became a federal holiday, workers continue the fight to preserve the American Dream for future generations. 

It’s not only about working conditions anymore. We can invest in public transportation so those who don’t own vehicles can still get to work. We can improve access to childcare so some people don’t have to choose between being a parent and having a job. We can continue to improve our healthcare system so that getting sick doesn’t mean going broke. We can promote job training programs and workforce development so that less young people are saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student debt.

This Labor Day, let’s remember the progress that has been made without losing sight of the work that remains to be done.