[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8857--AUG. 31, 2012

Proclamation 8857 of August 31, 2012

Labor Day, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Through times of prosperity and hardship alike, America counts on the
strength and dynamism of the world's finest labor force. From the
factory floor and the office to the classroom and the interstate,
working men and women are the unshakable foundation of American
innovation and economic growth. On Labor Day, we celebrate their vital
role and reaffirm that America will always stand behind our workers.


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The rights and benefits we enjoy today were not simply handed to working
men and women; they had to be won. Brick by brick, America's labor
unions helped raise the landmarks of middle-class security: the 40-hour
workweek and weekends, paid leave and pensions, the minimum wage and
health insurance, Social Security and Medicare. These are the victories
that make our Nation's promise possible--the idea that if we work hard
and play by the rules, we can make a better life for ourselves and our
families.
I am committed to preserving the collective bargaining rights that
helped build the greatest middle class the world has ever known. It is
the fundamental right of every American to have a voice on the job, and
a chance to negotiate for fair pay, safe working conditions, and a
secure retirement. When we uphold these basic principles, our middle
class grows and everybody prospers.
Our Nation faces tough times, but I have never stopped betting on the
American worker. This is the labor force that revolutionized the
assembly line and built the arsenal of democracy that defeated fascism
in World War II. These are the workers who built our homes, highways,
and rail lines, who educate our children and care for the sick. American
workers have taken us through the digital revolution and into a 21st-
century economy. As my Administration fights to create good jobs and
restore the American dream, I am confident that, together, we will
emerge from today's challenges as we always have--stronger than ever
before.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 3, 2012, 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 contributions and resilience of working
Americans.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA