Holiday Hours: Labor Day

Boston-born Labor Secretary Frances Perkins was the first woman to hold a Cabinet position and the architect of Social Security.

Labor Day is being celebrated Monday, Sept. 4. Labor Day was established as a federal holiday in 1971 by Congress and is held on the first Monday of September. Read a history of Labor Day here.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The union encouraged the development of a workingman's holiday and a number of states began setting a day aside. Parades and picnics or similar events were not uncommon in its early days; it is now seen as part of the last three-day weekend of the summer prior to the start of school in many localities. 

Massachusetts was among the first states to recognize Labor Day and the first to institute a minimum wage on June 4, 1912.

The fourth U.S secretary of labor, and the first woman to hold a Cabinet position, Frances Perkins, was born in Boston in 1880. Perkins, who attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, is considered the architect of the Social Security Act. The headquarters of the Department of Labor is named after her.

Closed:
Federal, state and local offices; no mail delivery.
Banks; Wall Street
Public colleges and schools, most private schools
Public libraries
Most offices and businesses
BRTA is not running
No trash pickup in Pittsfield; one-day delay

MassDOT update:
Heaviest Labor Day traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) is expected on Thursday and Friday westbound and Monday afternoon and evening eastbound. Motorists are advised to drive in off-peak hours if possible, utilize available technology tools for trips including www.mass511.com, consider public transportation if possible to reach destinations and bring a face-covering as some municipalities have a mask mandate for indoor venues.

"We encourage members of the public to use MassDOT's resources before planning travel for the Labor Day Weekend," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "By planning ahead, you can select the best travel times, avoid congestion, and have a safer and more efficient trip."     

Sign up at the 511 Traveler Information Service to receive personalized travel information alerts via email, text or telephone. MassDOT as always reminds drivers to avoid using cell phones while driving. Call into the 511 service before departing.   

North Adams Veterans Memorial Bridge Deemed 'Structurally Deficient'

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
04:44PM / Friday, December 01, 2023

Jersey barriers and barrels were put up this week to limit a section of the roadway to two lanes. Plans are to soon prohibit large trucks from the bridge.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The 61-year-old Veterans Memorial Bridge has been declared "structurally deficient" after the most recent inspection by the state Department of Transportation. 

 

The city's Department of Public Services in a Facebook post on Thursday said the state has issued weight limit restrictions and lane closures. 

 

"These restrictions are due to structural deficiencies found during a recent inspection and are necessary to keep the bridge open until a repair plan can be implemented," stated the post. "Alternate truck routes [sic] detour signage will be posted over the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience."

 

The span is briefly narrowed to two lanes about halfway through its 171-foot span with barrels and jersey barriers. 

 

"This is a precautionary measure, because there is some critical deterioration," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey on Friday. "So these actions are being taken to really make sure that the rest of the integrity is safe and that big heavy vehicles avoid the area when we get to that point."

 

The ratings posted by MassDOT's Highway Division on Friday list a deck condition of 7, which is considered "good." But the superstructure rated a 3 and the substructure a 5. 

 

According to the Federal Highway Administration, ratings of 4 or less are classified as poor and 5 or 6 as good. The superstructure's rating of 3 lead to its designation as "structurally deficient."