Who Founded Labor Day? Check the Names, Contributions and Key Facts

Labor Day is one of those holidays most of us take for granted, a long weekend, parades, and the unofficial end of summer. This year, Labor Day is on 1st September, but very few people actually know who started it and why it even exists. For years, the credit has gone to one man, but new evidence suggests another figure may have actually been the true “Father of Labor Day.”

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Who is officially credited with founding Labor Day?

Most history books and even the U.S. Department of Labor point to Peter J. McGuire as the founder of Labor Day.

Peter McGuire was a carpenter by trade and a child of immigrants. He had to leave school early to work, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most respected union leaders of the 19th century. In 1881, he founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which went on to become the biggest trade union of its time.

He also worked alongside his friend Samuel Gompers to create the American Federation of Labor (AFL). McGuire was heavily involved in labor strikes during the 1880s, which helped push the idea of the eight-hour workday into the national conversation.

According to the popular story, McGuire suggested to the Central Labor Union in New York in 1882 that there should be one day every year dedicated to celebrating workers, with a parade to show the strength and unity of labor organizations. That’s how Labor Day supposedly began.

Was it actually Peter McGuire’s idea?

Here’s where things get interesting. New research and historical evidence suggest otherwise.

The New Jersey Historical Society has uncovered records pointing to Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, as the true originator of Labor Day.

Matthew Maguire (note the spelling difference!) was another powerful union figure. In the 1870s, he led multiple strikes that pushed attention toward the struggles of manufacturing workers, who often worked extremely long hours in poor conditions. By 1882, Maguire had become the secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York , the same organization that held the first Labor Day parade.

What evidence supports Matthew Maguire as the founder?

After President Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law as a national holiday in 1894, a New Jersey newspaper, The Paterson Morning Call, published an editorial that gave credit to Matthew Maguire.

The piece, titled “Honor to Whom Honor is Due,” stated clearly that the “souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire… the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday.” The paper even called him the “Father of the Labor Day holiday.”This raises a strong case that it may have been Matthew, not Peter, who first pushed the idea of officially recognizing workers with their own holiday.

Why did Matthew Maguire get overlooked?

So, if Matthew Maguire was the one behind the holiday, why don’t we all know his name?

Historians believe it has to do with politics. Maguire was known for holding radical political views compared to many of his peers. Samuel Gompers and other leaders of the AFL didn’t want Labor Day to be tied to Maguire’s politics, fearing it might weaken public support for the holiday.

As a result, in a 1897 interview, credit was given instead to Peter J. McGuire, who was seen as a “safer” and more mainstream figure. Over time, his name stuck, and Matthew Maguire’s role faded into the background.

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So, who really founded Labor Day?

The honest answer: both names come up, but Matthew Maguire has the stronger claim.

While the official story still points to Peter J. McGuire, historical records and newspaper accounts from the time suggest that Matthew Maguire was the true driving force behind the holiday.

In the end, whether it was Peter or Matthew, both men were passionate about workers’ rights. What matters most is that Labor Day was born out of the labor movement’s fight to give working people recognition, dignity, and a voice.