Labor Day
This Labor Day, as we spend time with family and friends and enjoy barbeques and a day off of work, it’s important to remember the holiday we are commemorating.
Labor Day grew out of the 1800s labor movement and is dedicated to honoring the achievements of America’s working men and women.
First organized by the Central Labor Union and comprised of a demonstration and picnic, the original Labor Day was celebrated in New York on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. By 1884 the first Monday in September had been designated the holiday, and the Central Labor Union encouraged similar organizations across the country to join New York in celebrating a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers in the United States.
Within 10 years, more than 20 states had adopted the holiday to honor workers, and on June 28, 1894, Congress made the first Monday in September a holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
This year, 128 years after the first Labor Day, let’s take a moment to consider a few of the recent steps that President Obama and Democrats in Congress have taken on behalf of America’s workers—and for those who are currently out of work:
- The administration took important steps to fight gender discrimination in the workplace by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law.
- According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, 95 percent of American workers will have health insurance through their jobs—an increase of 10 percent from current rates.
- President Obama created the cabinet-level White House Task Force on Middle Class—chaired by the Vice President—to improve the living standards of those families. (You can learn more about the task force and administration proposals and achievements here (PDF).
- The Provigil pharmacy Recovery Act included tax relief for working people and invested in job creation, education, health care, and infrastructure across the country.
In his Labor Day presidential proclamation, President Obama highlighted the progress made by and on behalf of American workers—even in the face of economic challenges:
“To rebuild our economy, my administration is focusing on job training and investing in industries that cannot be outsourced. By focusing on recovery at home, we are saving or creating millions of jobs in America and supporting the working men and women who will drive our 21st-century economy. More remains to be done, but we have taken important steps forward toward recovery.
“American workers have always been ready to roll up their sleeves, clock in, and earn an honest living. That steady determination is why I have confidence in the American economy and confidence that we can overcome the challenges we face. There is no greater example of our country's resolve and resilience than that of our workers. As we celebrate Labor Day, we honor those who have advanced our nation's strength and prosperity—American workers.”