President Grover Cleveland signed the U.S. law establishing Labor Day as a federal holiday on June 28, 1894.
The law followed years of labor activism and local observances. Labor organizations had promoted a holiday honoring workers, and several states had already recognized Labor Day before the federal government acted. The federal measure designated the first Monday in September for the holiday.
The timing was politically significant. Cleveland signed the law shortly after the Pullman Strike, a major railroad conflict that had led to federal intervention and heightened tensions between organized labor and the government. Establishing Labor Day helped acknowledge workers while also addressing pressure for reform.
The federal law did not create a universal day off for every worker; it established the holiday for federal employees and provided a national framework. State governments and private employers determined how broadly it was observed. Labor Day remains a U.S. federal holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September.