A review of the history of Labor Day reveals its origins in the 1894 Pullman strike rather than the 1882 Central Labor Union observance often cited. President Barack Obama issued a formal proclamation for the holiday, despite it being a long-standing federal fixture. Historical records show President Grover Cleveland sent federal troops to suppress the Pullman strike, resulting in at least 30 deaths, before rushing the Labor Day bill through Congress to appease the workforce.
