Our View: Labor Day is a part of us

Cloquet and Carlton County have thrived on the back of labor since the first sawmills appeared at Knife Falls in the 1880s. It’s still an important presence in our community even after all this time. Last year, the annual Labor Day parade celebrated its 100th birthday (even though it was likely the 102nd). This year, we’re sad that the parade was canceled due to the pandemic.

But just because there’s no parade doesn’t mean we can’t honor those who built our country, fought for the living wage and decent working conditions, and united the workers to better negotiate with the (usually) out-of-state business owners. While each side has made mistakes over the years, labor had a big role in growing the middle class and allowing America to prosper the way it has. For that, we are grateful.

It’s not just union labor that keeps us prosperous. More than ever, it’s easily visible that cashiers, health care workers, truck drivers, clerks, and all types of service people have kept our communities humming along, even in the face of a global pandemic. Add in educators, government workers, restaurant and grocery store employees … Union members or not, they all contribute to our community, and all should be honored.

Skipping the parade this year is a real break in tradition. As the Pine Knot reported in 1917, Cloquet’s lumber mill unions, the Pulp and Sulphite Workers and the International Brotherhood of Papermakers, organized the first “observance of Labor Day” in 1917. The mills cooperated, shutting down for the day so all the labor staff could enjoy the celebrations, and storeowners cooperated, too.

The parades continued for at least a century. While we wish the pandemic didn’t exist and the festivities could happen as usual, that’s not realistic or responsible. Thus, we hope it’s just a one-year historical gap in the Cloquet tradition, and that Labor Day parades and festivities continue marking the end of summer for another century.

And kudos to the DFL for marking the day with their own “covid-careful” event on Labor Day. It sounds both safe and fun.

However you choose to celebrate Labor Day, please do so responsibly by wearing masks and observing social distancing when gathering in groups.

We welcome your input to the Pine Knot News community newspaper. Send your thoughts, letters, or news to [email protected].