Hatch: The lady behind Labor Day

For countless of us Labor Day is a time for fun with family and friends But there is more to the end-of-summer festivities than the much-needed time off work Dating back to the th century Labor Day is a celebration of the socioeconomic achievements of working Americans particularly union members who spent decades fighting for workplace rights and protections The first Labor Day parade was organized by the Central Labor Union and held in New York City on September By Congress made Labor Day a national holiday ensuring we never forget the contributions of workers Plenty of leaders have since taken up the mantle of the labor movement Frances Perkins is undoubtedly among the the majority notable and deserves her place among the majority recognizable Born to Mainers in the South End Perkins attended Classical High School in Worcester and Mount Holyoke College where she was the class president and first discovered the suffrage movement In a formative curriculum taught by Professor Annah May Soule Perkins visited mills along the Connecticut River to observe local working conditions and analysis the realities of New England industrialism Perkins later declared I was horrified at the work that a great number of women and children had to do in factories I was inspired with the idea of reforming or at least doing what I could to help change those abuses This experience in Massachusetts changed her life and the subject of U S history forever For decades Frances Perkins worked toward these workplace reforms eventually becoming the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet as Secretary of Labor in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration from to It was unprecedented for a woman to influence White House program and Perkins approach to policymaking was indeed unprecedented A social worker by training she heeded the National Consumer League s call to investigate agitate and legislate collaborating with workers union leaders and political allies to identify problems craft initiative solutions and pass rule Perkins was also an architect of several of FDR s New Deal policies designing Social Defense and citizens works programs that helped lift millions of people out of poverty She implemented safety regulations that are standard to this day and her work on the Fair Labor Standards Act increased wages decreased working hours and guaranteed overtime pay Without her there would be no weekend as we know it at present and surely no three-day weekend multiple of us enjoy each September More totally put in the proclamation to establish a national monument in her name Insufficient Americans have had a deeper influence in shaping labor and social initiative in the United States than Frances Perkins Yet Frances Perkins is a name often unrecognized at Labor Day barbecues and unquoted in our history books The Frances Perkins Center is working to change that Until September th Bostonians can honor this New England trailblazer in-person at her family s historic homestead in Newcastle Maine The Center is partnering with the National Park Operation to welcome visitors to the Frances Perkins National Monument one of America s newest national monuments and among only out of national park sites honoring women s history Located adjacent to the Damariscotta River visitors can learn more about Frances Perkins achievements while experiencing first-hand the serenity she revealed walking the property s grounds and trails Perkins vision that a regime should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best practicable life may sound idealistic to particular and outright impossible to others yet her ability to put this vision to action continues to positively impact millions This Labor Day and beyond let s celebrate the legacy of Frances Perkins as a considerable part of American labor history and a blueprint for future progress Amanda Hatch serves as Executive Director of the Frances Perkins Center Former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins evokes a smile from President John Kennedy during her speech at a dinner in Washington March to celebrate the th anniversary of the Labor Department AP Photo William J Smith