While most folks are familiar with today as being May Day, in which we frolic around the maypole and elect a May Queen (never done either in my life), not many know that today is International Workers' Day. It's held in commemoration of the Haymarket Affair--a peaceful demonstration in Chicago on May 4, 1886 for the 8 hour workday which turned violent when a bomb was thrown. Later, eight of the demonstrators were convicted of conspiracy, four of which would be executed and one of which would commit suicide rather than be executed. None were likely guilty of the charges, but it is considered a major turning point in the fight for the eight hour day.
So as you're dancing around the maypole today, take a moment today to give thanks to those who paid the ultimate price, especially if you're one of those who's lucky enough to work an eight hour shift and get paid overtime for anything over it. The idea was originally to be eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for you--and some union members gave their lives in the fight for a better life for you.
And there are still a lot of them fighting for the very same thing even today.
Peace,
emaycee
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