Union members and their allies held a series of rallies in the South Bay Monday to demand better pay and working conditions.

Today is Labor Day. Have a great holiday and we’ll be back Tuesday.

Labor Day, a holiday deeply rooted in the American labor movement, claims a history full of violence and victory, a "workingmen's holiday" first celebrated by the New York City-based Central Labor Union in 1882.

Happy Labor Day! San Jose Inside will return tomorrow.—Editor.

Happy Labor Day, San Jose Inside readers. We’ll return tomorrow to fill you in this week with updates on some shenanigans at the county level, an in-depth interview with City Manager Debra Figone and a dispatch from the Democratic National Convention.—Editor.

This week, as scripted by federal law, most of us enjoyed a national holiday lobbied for by the labor movement in the late 19th century. The intention of labor leaders was to create a commemorative day where the average American worker was recognized for their contributions to the nation and its people. But too many Labor Day celebrations on Monday were without the flourish and pomp paid to labor that I grew up with many decades ago.