[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]
Presidential Documents
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