While Labor Day weekend may mark the turning point from summer to fall for many, the holiday itself is a crucial part of American labor history.
The federal holiday is observed because of the labor movement in the late 19th century.
Labor Day became an official federal holiday in 1894.
Before 1894, it was common for the American worker to clock in for up to 12 hours, and for children to be part of the workforce.
Union leaders stepped in and advocated for better working conditions and pay.
With their efforts, they introduced the concept of a safe workspace, an 8-hour workday and the weekend holiday.
You can still find union leaders who keep fighting for the working class.
In OC, workers like Carolina Valdivia, a county eligibility technician and a union member of the local AFSCME union negotiating team, are pushing the County for better pay.
This negotiation comes on the heels of county supervisors giving themselves a 25% raise, and signing other union contracts with a 3% raise to four of the county’s seven major unions.
Read: Orange County’s Cold War on Labor: Frozen Vacancies and Limited Raises
Valdivia and her union have rejected the 3% pay increase.
“We are not asking the county to make us rich; we are asking the county to make us middle class,” said Valdivia in an interview with Voice of OC.
Valdivia helps process critical public benefits for financially insecure people in the county, such as Medical, CalFresh, and other county assistance programs.
“There is a lot more to the job than simply processing paperwork. We are working with people who might be going through the hardest circumstance in their lives,” says Valdivia, who also highlights the impact unions have had on her life.
“The union has given me a better understanding of my rights, my contract, and the importance of advocating not only for myself but for my coworkers. Being part of the negotiations committee has especially opened my eyes to how much work goes into advocating for employees; it has made me more confident in speaking up.”
Eric Jimenez, the Secretary-Treasurer for the local Teamsters 952 union that also rejected the county contracts, said the county has repeatedly negotiated in bad faith with them, and that they’re currently headed to mediation with county leaders and a possible strike.
“After mediation the hard question is going to be asked – does the county move more, or do we strike over what we believe is a fair contract?” Jimenez said in a Thursday interview. “A lot of this could’ve been avoided if the county just bargained in good faith, and they chose not to.”
Jimenez also pointed out the county’s stance on not paying retroactive pay for members when new contracts get established means that every month a deal isn’t made, his workers are losing money.
“It’s been a pretty upsetting negotiation with the county,” Jimenez said.
Despite starting negotiations last December, they had not reached a deal with county supervisors before they took a month-long vacation, which Jimenez said locked them out of any negotiations as well during that time.
“The teamsters went a full month without any negotiations because they weren’t coming back until August,” Jimenez said. “We were like wait, you just gave yourselves a 25% increase but you’re asking your employees to take a 0%?”
Over 100 million people are employed in the United States. Within OC itself, over 1 million people are employed.
OC hosts a variety of workforces in hospitality and tourism, construction, logistics and transportation, manufacturing and more.
Here are some of the workers who make up the county:
Matthew Defelice, an Anaheim resident, during his shift at Humanity Coffee in Newport Beach, Calif., on Sunday, August 30, 2026. “There’s so much life in Orange County, and that applies to customers; they’re super cool to talk to,” Defelice says. As a barista, “I have to manage multiple things at the same time, making sure I’m doing everything I need to,” says Defelice. For Defelice, who has served up coffee for three years, shares how mornings are “pretty packed” and how local activity has increased now that summer is ending and tourists are decreasing. He goes on to highlight how Humanity Coffee has a “big local base” that enjoys supporting local businesses. Defelice finds Labor Day “always ironic” due to working on the holiday. Defelice will be working this upcoming Labor Day.
Anthony O’Brien, an Irvine resident, shelving books in Lido Village Books in Newport Beach, Calif., on Sunday, August 30, 2026. O’Brien has been the manager at Lido Village Books for a year. “It’s a people job. I’ll talk with someone until a book comes to mind to fit where they’re at,” says O’Brien. Labor Day designates time to “celebrate the people who make the world go round,” O’Brien continues. O’Brien himself will be working this upcoming Labor Day.
Christian Pienda, a 22-year-old balloon supplier for Downtown Disney, gathers a new batch of balloons in preparation for buyers on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. Pineda is a full-time student at Santa Ana College who works under a third-party balloon supplier for Downtown Disney. Working 5 to 7 hours a day, he spends that time blowing up balloons and delivering supplies. Although Pineda has the day off from school on Labor Day, he decided to take a work shift.
Felicia Enoka, 33, works her typical shift at ARCO by counting till, organizing the store, and prepping the hot food. The OC native’s time at work is much more than the material items, but customer interaction and satisfaction. “Sometimes I like being the sunshine that people need on a rainy day. I have people come in, and you can see the irritation on their faces. By the time they leave my register, they’re saying, “All right, you have a good one, too.” That’s what I love.” Enoka is just a few months into the position but praises the positive and supportive workplace environment as a single mom. She described their team culture as, “You help me, I help you,” with management allowing time for family or injuries. Enoka is working the morning of Labor Day, but is excited to have the afternoon off to celebrate the holiday with family in Orange.
Isaiah Lonvelin, 25, works as a Disney Resort Transportation officer, assisting with parking payments and directing guests through the parking structure on Sunday, August 30, 2026. Lonvelin, a journalism student at Cal State, works about 30 hours a week while attending school full time, with hours running from 11 A.M to 7 P.M. “ It can be difficult at times balancing work and school depending on my schedule and shifts” While some employees receive Labor Day off based on seniority, Lonvelin is scheduled to work. He says, “I mean every job has its complications, but I enjoy my work. I wouldn’t consider it grueling or as demanding as people make it out to be.”
Dan Anguiano, 39, one of three owners of Loosie’s Pizza in Santa Ana, stands behind the register on Sunday, Aug 30, 2026, before the dinner rush. Anguiano and his longtime friends have co-owned the restaurant for nearly five years and are looking to expand, but emphasizes the importance of supporting local businesses. “Labor Day celebrates workers and the average joe, it’s a day to take off for all the hard work you’ve done. There’s a lot of hard-working people here that have been in the community for a long time… these small businesses give downtown its charm,” said Anguiano.
Berenice Yanez, 24, a full-time sales associate at the Squeeze, maintains the split storefront that encapsulates the City of Orange on Sunday, Aug 30, 2026. Yanez works other jobs in addition to The Squeeze in the Orange Circle, and prepares for the Labor Day weekend rush of tourists that the holiday and annual food fair bring in. “It’s mostly tourists that come by but I do have regulars come in that are either walking around or enjoying a coffee from the area,” Yanez said.
Julie Leopo and Noah Biesiada contributed to the reporting of this story.
