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Labor Day, Women, and Social Security: How are they connected?
Americans celebrated Labor Day on Monday, September 3rd. It’s the unofficial end of summer, a day for cookouts and barbecues, the last chance to hit the beach, and of course a day to honor laborers. But, as Lynda Waddington notes in this historical journey, Labor Day is also a reminder of women’s labor and employment rights. She writes, “It’s a moment to consider the inclusion of women in the workplace; recognition that discrimination against women on the basis of sex not only is illegal but wrong; and understanding the fight for women’s workplace equality is not just a women’s issue.”
Waddington reminds us of the appointment of Frances Perkins as secretary of labor, the nation’s first female Cabinet member, by President Franklin Roosevelt. Perkins was a key voice in the creation of Social Security and other New Deal programs. Read more here on how far women have come in the workers’ rights area.