[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 72295-72297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20131]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 72295]]


                Proclamation 10802 of August 30, 2024

                
Labor Day, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every year on Labor Day, we celebrate the dignity of 
                America's workers and the labor unions they have built. 
                I often say that Wall Street did not build America--the 
                middle class built America, and unions built the middle 
                class. Labor unions have done so much for our Nation--
                giving workers a voice at the workplace, raising 
                standards on the job, and fighting for better benefits 
                and wages for us all. Today, we honor the pioneers who 
                fought for the rights of working people, pay tribute to 
                the dedication of our American workforce, and honor the 
                enduring movement that powers our economy and 
                strengthens our Nation.

                My father taught me from a young age that a job is 
                about far more than just a paycheck--it is about your 
                dignity. When I came into office, too many people had 
                lost both their paychecks and their sense of dignity. 
                Our economy was failing working-class and union 
                families. Decades of trickle-down economics sent jobs 
                overseas, shut down factories, and hollowed out our 
                communities. People had lost their sense of pride, 
                their security, and their pathway to the middle class.

                That is why I promised to be the most pro-labor, pro-
                union President in history and ensure unions have the 
                support they need to fight for our workers. Last year, 
                the Department of the Treasury released a comprehensive 
                report detailing how unions are not just good for union 
                workers but non-union workers as well, showing that 
                union growth helps to build a strong middle class in 
                America. I am proud to be the first sitting President 
                to walk the picket line to support workers who were 
                striking for better conditions. I am also proud that, 
                to date, we have created nearly 16 million new jobs, 
                including almost 800,000 manufacturing jobs and nearly 
                900,000 construction jobs. In fact, investment in 
                construction of new factories has nearly tripled since 
                I took office. My Administration announced more than 
                60,000 projects to rebuild America's roads, bridges, 
                airports, ports, and more through our Bipartisan 
                Infrastructure Law. Wages are up, inflation is down, 
                and we have had the fastest recovery of any advanced 
                economy in the world since the pandemic started.

                Furthermore, we are positioning American workers to 
                lead the world in innovation. I signed the Inflation 
                Reduction Act, the largest investment in clean energy 
                and climate action in history, creating nearly 335,000 
                clean energy jobs according to outside estimates. I 
                also signed the CHIPS and Science Act to bring 
                semiconductor manufacturing back home and ensure that 
                America's clean energy jobs go to American workers. To 
                date, we have attracted nearly $900 billion in private-
                sector commitments to invest in manufacturing and clean 
                energy. I am proud that this manufacturing boom we 
                ignited is being done with American products and led by 
                American workers--the most highly skilled workers in 
                the world--because of ``Made in America'' provisions 
                that I championed and my Administration enforced.

                Today, more Americans are joining the workforce, and we 
                have the highest share of working-age Americans in the 
                workforce in over 20 years. And over the past 2 years, 
                more workers have been petitioning for union 
                representation. To ensure those workers have a voice on 
                the job, I have required

[[Page 72296]]

                the use of project labor agreements for nearly all 
                large-scale Federal construction projects. I have also 
                strengthened Davis-Bacon requirements to guarantee that 
                prevailing wages pay workers what they deserve and 
                enacted the Butch Lewis Act--the most significant law 
                for union retirement security in 50 years--that has 
                protected the pensions of 1 million union workers. We 
                issued a rule that expands overtime protections to 
                millions of workers, and my Administration is working 
                to crack down on noncompete agreements, which prevent 
                30 million Americans from taking new, higher-paying 
                jobs.

                My Administration is also making sure that workers feel 
                safe and secure on the job. That is why the Department 
                of Labor is proposing a new rule that will establish 
                the Nation's first-ever Federal safety standard for 
                excessive heat in the workplace. That rule includes 
                developing a response to heat illness, training 
                employees and supervisors, implementing rest breaks, 
                and ensuring access to shade and water. And we are 
                limiting workers' exposure to toxic materials like 
                silica dust to prevent them from developing preventable 
                and irreversible illnesses. My Administration also 
                issued a rule to ensure that workers are empowered to 
                have a representative accompany an Occupational Safety 
                and Health Administration official during workplace 
                inspections.

                I have long believed that workers deserve a seat at the 
                table and an opportunity to join a union, organize, and 
                bargain collectively with their employer without 
                coercion or intimidation. That is why I appointed 
                people who actually care about American workers to the 
                National Labor Relations Board. And I established the 
                White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and 
                Empowerment, led by Vice President Harris, which 
                resulted in over 70 actions to promote worker 
                organizing and collective bargaining.

                As we look to the future, my Administration is creating 
                long-term pathways to help people secure good-paying 
                jobs, including union jobs. We invested nearly $730 
                million to expand Registered Apprenticeships, which 
                support the education and training needs of apprentices 
                across the country. And I signed an Executive Order 
                that expands Registered Apprenticeship programs in the 
                Federal workforce, encourages Federal agencies to hire 
                people who have participated in these programs, and 
                increases workers' voices in Federal programs and 
                contracts.

                This Labor Day, let us stand in solidarity with 
                America's workers, who are the engines behind our 
                Nation's prosperity. Let us celebrate labor unions, who 
                give voice to our workers and ensure they are given the 
                dignity, respect, and protections in the workplace that 
                they deserve. And let us recommit to ensuring that 
                every hardworking American has a fair shot at achieving 
                the promise of the American Dream for generations to 
                come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2, 
                2024, as Labor Day. I call upon all public officials 
                and people of the United States to observe this day 
                with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities 
                that honor the energy and innovation of working 
                Americans.

[[Page 72297]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-20131
Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P