The summer of 1894, when Labor Day was declared a national holiday, was a season of protest, not leisure, for the American labor movement.
The Pullman Strike, a massive strike and boycott organized by Pullman rail-workers, brought rail traffic to a halt throughout the Midwest. George Pullman, the railcar company’s president, triggered the strike by lowering wages but refusing to lower rents in the company town. Faced with dire living conditions and a 16-hour workday, a delegation of railcar workers voted to strike, with thousands walking off the job.
Desperate for labor, the company was forced to close. Then, acting under orders to break the strike, federal troops were called in to Hammond, Ind. A mob formed and several protesters were wounded in the melee. A few weeks later, another 30 protesters were killed in Chicago, as the National Guard opened fire on an angry crowd that grew violent.
President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a national holiday amid this unrest, but it was more of a stick-and-carrot than a sincere effort to restructure the balance of power between labor and capital. President Cleveland, according to most historians, sought to placate workers with the holiday while using force to stifle their calls for better working conditions. Indeed, only federal workers received the day off on our inaugural Labor Day, leaving the protesters and laborers who fought for workers’ rights still on the job.
Times have changed. American workers are no longer fighting for an eight-hour workday, overtime pay, or workers' compensation. Instead, they’re fighting for a living wage.
Today’s federal minimum wage of $7.25 falls far short of what’s needed to sustain a family. According to the Living Wage Institute, working parents with two or more children would each need to work at least 96 hours a week at that rate to earn a living wage — estimated to be around $25.02 per hour.
Even states that boast relatively high minimum wages miss the mark. In Washington, for example, the state’s $16.28 minimum wage covers just 58.5 percent of the living wage for a family of four, while California’s $16 minimum wage covers just 31 percent.
Families with earnings considerably above the poverty line may still struggle to meet their basic needs. Estimates suggest that as many as 53 million Americans — 44 percent of the workforce — earn too little to support either themselves or their families’ basic needs. It turns out that many of these low-paying jobs are in the retail and food service sectors.
In 2023, for example, the median annual pay for Walmart workers was just $27,326. It was even worse for workers at TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, where the median worker received just $13,884 a year.
I know from my own education and experience that, today, skilled trades and advanced manufacturing are better pathways to the middle class. I learned a trade while attending Yale Law School, becoming a certified machinist and earning my diploma from a local vocational school.
I had good reason.
My clinical work at Yale brought me face-to-face with many low-income residents in the greater New Haven area who were struggling to find middle-class careers that didn’t require a four-year degree. At the time, local manufacturers and construction companies in the state of Connecticut, including Electric Boat and Pratt & Whitney, were experiencing massive skilled labor shortages. I discovered that these jobs not only paid a living wage without requiring a four-year degree, but they also offered opportunities for career advancement and lifelong learning.
Rapid advancements in America’s manufacturing and construction industries, such as 3D printing, robotics and AI-driven technologies, now require continuous training to keep workers’ skills relevant and competitive. I learned a trade because I was curious about the kinds of skills these jobs required, and because I wanted to help employers find talent in historically underserved communities, where the labor pool and hunger for economic opportunity was greatest.
Certainly, opportunities abound for any Yale Law graduate. But trade school has given me a unique perspective on the value of middle-class careers that don’t require a four-year degree, and the critical role they can play in helping to eradicate poverty.
Like the workers who took to the streets in 1894, today’s workforce deserves more than just survival — they deserve the opportunity to thrive.
In 1894, workers fought not just for recognition but for the right to a dignified life — a fight that continues today. I’m convinced however, the solution may not lie solely in raising the federal minimum wage. It lies, rather, in upskilling our workforce and preparing our youth to fill the growing number of prosperous careers that demand specialized skills but don’t require four years of college.
The skilled trades and advanced manufacturing industries are not vestiges of the past — they are thriving sectors offering stability, growth and a pathway to the middle class. By investing in education and vocational training that aligns with these opportunities, we can empower millions of Americans to secure meaningful careers that offer lifelong learning and advancement.
As we celebrate Labor Day, let’s honor the spirit of those who came before us by ensuring that today’s workers are not just surviving but thriving, in careers that fulfill the promise of the American dream.
Darnell Epps is the founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries, and is a recent graduate of Yale Law School.
