[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9012--AUG. 30, 2013

Proclamation 9012 of August 30, 2013

Labor Day, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On September 5, 1882, in what is thought to be the first Labor Day
event, thousands of working Americans gathered to march in a New York
City parade. In the 131 years since, America has called on our workers
time and again--to raise and connect our cities; to feed, heal, and
educate our Nation; to forge the latest technological revolution. On
Labor Day, we celebrate these enduring contributions and honor all the
men and women who make up the world's greatest workforce.




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America is what it is today because workers began to organize--to demand
fair pay, decent hours, safe working conditions, and the dignity of a
secure retirement. Through decades upon decades of struggle, they won
many of the rights and benefits we too often take for granted today,
from the 40-hour work week and minimum wage to safety standards,
workers' compensation, and health insurance. These basic protections
allowed the middle class to flourish. They formed the basis of the
American dream and offered a better life to anyone willing to work for
it.
Yet over the past decades, that promise began to erode. People were
working harder for less, and good jobs became more difficult to find. My
Administration remains committed to restoring the basic bargain at the
heart of the American story. We are bringing good jobs back to the
United States. We are expanding programs that train workers in
tomorrow's industries, and we eliminated tax breaks that benefited the
wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class. In the years to
come, I will continue to support collective bargaining rights that
strengthen the middle class and give voice to workers across our Nation.
And I will keep pushing for a higher minimum wage--because in America,
no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.
Thanks to the grit and resilience of the American worker, we have
cleared away the rubble of the worst recession since the Great
Depression. Now is the time to reward that hard work. Today, as America
celebrates working people everywhere, we unite behind good jobs in
growing industries, and we strengthen our resolve to rebuild our economy
on a stronger foundation.
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 2, 2013, 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 thirtieth day of
August, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA