Boston-born Labor Secretary Frances Perkins was the first woman to hold a Cabinet position and the architect of Social Security.
Labor Day is being celebrated Monday, Sept. 2. Labor Day was established as a federal holiday in 1971 by Congress and is held on the first Monday of September. Read a history of Labor Day here.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The union encouraged the development of a workingman's holiday and a number of states began setting a day aside. Parades and picnics or similar events were not uncommon in its early days; it is now seen as part of the last three-day weekend of the summer prior to the start of school in many localities.
Massachusetts was among the first states to recognize Labor Day and the first to institute a minimum wage on June 4, 1912.
The fourth U.S secretary of labor, and the first woman to hold a Cabinet position, Frances Perkins, was born in Boston in 1880. Perkins, who attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, is considered the architect of the Social Security Act. The headquarters of the Department of Labor is named after her.
Closed:
Federal, state and local offices; no mail delivery.
Banks; Wall Street
Public colleges and schools, most private schools
Public libraries
Most offices and businesses
BRTA is not running
No trash pickup in Pittsfield; one-day delay
Open:
Most retail outlets, groceries
Restaurants and bars, by choice
Convenience stores
MassDOT update:
Heaviest Labor Day traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) is expected on Thursday and Friday westbound and Monday afternoon and evening eastbound. Motorists are advised to drive in off-peak hours if possible, utilize available technology tools for trips including www.mass511.com, consider public transportation if possible to reach destinations and bring a face-covering as some municipalities have a mask mandate for indoor venues.
"With Labor Day weekend approaching, we urge all travelers to make use of MassDOT travel resources and expect increased travel times on the roadways," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "We're expecting to see higher traffic counts across the state, so drivers should plan ahead and make safe choices while out on the roads this holiday weekend."
All state construction outside of fixed work zones will be halted from 5 a.m. Friday until the start of normal business hours on Tuesday. High-occupancy lanes will open early at 2 p.m. on Thursday and 1 p.m. on Friday and will be closed on Monday. The Sumner Tunnel will be open during the holiday weekend.
Sign up at the 511 Traveler Information Service to receive personalized travel information alerts via email, text or telephone. MassDOT as always reminds drivers to avoid using cell phones while driving. Call into the 511 service before departing.
