Silent History

St. Joseph is a quiet man known for many things—loving husband, father figure, a happy death. On May 1, his labor is celebrated. Pope Pius XII established the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955. Its date of May 1 coincides with May Day or International Workers’ Day. Joseph is remembered for his patience, courage, and hard work, and he is the patron of workers.

May Day is not really celebrated in America, although its origin is a commemoration of the Haymarket Massacre. May 1, 1886 was the date set by trade and unions leaders as the day the eight-hour work day would become standard. Unions prepared to strike for the eight-hour work day, as businesses would ignore the requests and continue to block, break, and sabotage organized labor efforts. On May 1, hundreds of thousands workers went on strike. On Monday, May 3, striking workers rallying outside McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. At the end of the day as strikebreakers left the factory, there was a confrontation between the groups. The police fired into the crowd, killing at least two workers.

The next morning, a crowd gathered at Haymarket Square to protest the police’s actions. Although the rally was planned by anarchists, the event was peaceful for several hours as various speakers took the podium. Around 10:30 p.m., more police arrived and began marching in formation, ordering the crowd to disperse. Someone threw a homemade bomb at the advancing police, killing seven. The police fired into the crowd, killing four and leaving dozens (both workers and police) wounded.

The event led to a major anti-union backlash. Immigrant communities were targeted. Dozens were arrested on suspicion of being anarchist. Searches were conducted without warrants on labor meeting halls. Yet this also led to various labor groups joining together under the scrutiny.

On May 1, 1890, workers again went on strike for an eight-hour work day, not just in America, but all over Europe and South America as well. It was also called on as a memorial to those killed in the Haymarket Massacre, and has since become International Workers’ Day.

I remember learning about the Haymarket Massacre in school. I remember learning about robber barons and the Gilded Age and people fought for better conditions and that’s why children don’t work in factories now. And that was about it. Tucked in between Reconstruction and World War I. The labor movement was a thing of the past.

I didn’t learn about the mine wars in West Virginia until grad school. Names like Cesar Chavez or Mother Jones were picked up in offhand conversation outside the classroom. I was never taught the continued struggle for labor rights, even as the strengths of unions and the gains of workers eroded away.

There are hundreds of stories of sacrifice. Not all as violent as Haymarket. But some of them are. Stories of people who risk their livelihood and their lives to ensure that others have safe workspaces, living wages, days of rest—the dignity owed a worker. Weekends, overtime pay, minimum wage, equal pay, health and safety requirements, sick/maternity/paternity leave, social security, the right to organize, the banning of child labor—are all hard-fought labor battles that still need to be fought or defended.

Just like May 1, 1890, May 1, 2018 should be both commemoration and call to action. The past is important. The present is too. The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker reminds us of Joseph’s work as a father, husband, and laborer. It also reminds us that he still is patient, courageous, and industrious. He prays for us now because our work isn’t finished. Sancte Iospeh, ora pro nobis!