The
Origins of Labor Day...
Labor
Day is a national legal holiday that is over 100 years old.
Over the years, it has evolved from a purely labor union
celebration into a general "last fling of summer"
festival.
It grew out of a celebration and parade in honor of the
working class by the Knights of Labor in 1882 in New York.
The parade was held on the first Monday in September, and
the The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades
on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day.
The
Socialist Party held a similar celebration of the working
class on May 1. This date eventually became known as May
Day, and was celebrated by Socialists and Communists in
commemoration of the working man. In the U.S., the first
Monday in September was selected to reject any identification
with Communism.
In
the late 1880's, labor organizations began to lobby various
state legislatures for recognition of Labor Day as an official
state holiday. The first states to declare it a state holiday
in, 1887, were Oregon, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts,
and New Jersey. Then in 1894, Congress passed a law recognizing
Labor Day as an official national holiday.
Today,
Labor Day is observed not only in the U.S. but also in Canada
and other industrialized nations. While it is a general
holiday in the United States, its roots in the working class
remain clearer in European countries.
Labor
Day is also the unofficial end of the summer season. In
the northern half of the U.S. at least, the summer vacation
season begins with Memorial Day and ends with Labor Day.
Many
colleges and some secondary and elementary schools begin
classes immediately after Labor Day.
State
parks, swimming pools, and campgrounds are all quite busy
on Labor Day, as vacationers take one last advantage of
the waning hot season. September is the month that marks
the beginning of autumn. And, because of that, the average
daytime maximum temperatures take a plunge during the month
in most of the U.S.
So,
wherever you are, enjoy your day. You've earned it!
RBI
Promotes Mark Balog
Becomes
Region Manager On September 1
 Mike
Kenney, RBI-USA Vice President announced the promotion
of Mark Balog to Region Sales Manager effective
September 1, 2003. Mark will lead a team of 3 District Sales
Managers and be responsible for approximately half of RBI-USA
domestic sales.
Mark
joined RBI in 1998 as a District Sales Manager after working
in the service management industry where he was a Regional
Vice President in the Midwest. Prior to that, he was President
of a consulting firm that worked with manufacturers throughout
the U.S. from 1988 to 1996.
According
to Mr. Kenney, "Mark brings a solid leadership background
to our management team that completes our sales structure.
He and Tom (Brantner) will be an outstanding team of Region
Managers who will no doubt achieve our aggressive sales
goals."
Click
here for
more profiles of the RBI USA management
and sales team!
A
True Fish Story
RBI's
Bill Starr Lands Record Catch
Take
a look at these pictures. Bill Starr, Sales
Manager for RBI Western Canada had quite a battle on his
hands as he successfully landed a 66 pound Chinook Salmon
in mid-August - and set a new lodge record!
Should
be just about enough for a nice little family fish fry...
Final
Word
Dear
Tony,
I have been
unable to sleep since I broke off your engagement to my
daughter. Will you forgive and forget?
I was much
too sensitive about your Mohawk, tattoo and pierced nose.
I now realize that motorcycles aren't really that dangerous,
and I really should not have reacted that way to the fact
that you have never held a job. I am sure, too, that some
other very nice people live under the bridge in the park.
Sure my daughter
is only 18 and wants to marry you instead of going to
Harvard on full scholarship. After all, you can't learn
everything about life from books. I sometimes forget how
backward I can be. I was wrong. I was a fool. I have now
come to my senses, and you have my full blessing to marry
my daughter.
Sincerely,
Your future
father-in-law
P.S. Congratulations
on winning this week's lottery.
Your
Chinese Bearing Solution. |
