In 1883, in the United States, the average work day was more than ten hours, and a six-day work week was normal. Often, days were twelve to fifteen hours long, and in many industries employees also worked holidays and Sundays. It was not unusual for employers to require laborers to work twenty-four consecutive hours when their shifts changed from day to night.
The movement for the eight-hour day and the date of May 1 became identified with each other in 1884, at the convention of the newly formed Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada, the forerunner of the American Federation of Labor. The group resolved that "eight hours shall constitute a legal day's labor from and after May 1, 1886."
According to labor historian Philip Foner, the Federation probably chose May 1 because in the construction trades, when jobs were scarce in the winter, men worked for what they could get. Then, each spring, on May 1, traditionally a day for folk festivals and parades, they joined ranks to compel employers to sign contracts.
On May 1, 1886, The Federation encouraged labor representatives to negotiate for a shorter work week. If they failed, they should be prepared to strike. One circular contained this appeal:
"Arouse, ye toilers of America! Lay down your tools on May 1, 1886, cease your labor, close the factories, mills and mines--for one day of the year. One day of revolt--not of rest! A day not ordained by the bragging spokesmen of institutions holding the world of labor in bondage. A day on which labor makes its own laws and has the power to execute them! . . . A day on which to begin to enjoy 'eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will"
On May 1, 1886, close to half a million workers joined in a great, nationwide strike. In Chicago, "80,000 workers marched up Michigan Avenue" in the first May Day parade; other acgtivities were also plentiful. Activities gained momentum over the next few days. But then, on May 3, tragedy struck.
Near the McCormick Harvester plant, where workers were on strike, 6,000 members of the Lumber Shovers' Union held a rally. In the midst of the meeting, the shift ended and strikebreakers began to leave the plant; several hundred demonstrators left the rally to confront them. As the rallying workers forced the scabs back toward the plant, police fired into the crowd. One person was killed at the scene; many were injured, and three of them later died.
