    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9161--AUG. 29, 2014

    Proclamation 9161 of August 29, 2014

    Labor Day, 2014

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    On Labor Day, we honor the legacy of our working women and men who have
    played a defining role in the American story and all those who carry
    forward our Nation's proud tradition of hard work, responsibility, and
    sacrifice. From assembly lines to classrooms, across highways and steel
    mills, American workers strengthen the foundation of our country and
    demonstrate that our economy grows best from the middle out.
    For generations, working Americans have fought to build a better life
    for their families and a better future for their country. United in the
    cause of dignity and justice in the workplace, they organized for the
    workplace protections that have helped build the largest and most
    prosperous economy in the world, including the 40-hour workweek,
    overtime pay, and safe working conditions. Each hard-won victory, from
    laws establishing collective bargaining to those guaranteeing a minimum
    wage, has helped raise standards of living for people across our Nation
    and provided them with opportunities to climb the ladder of success.
    In the same spirit of strength and resilience, Americans today have
    battled back from a financial crisis, a weakening economic foundation,
    and the worst recession of our lifetimes. We have brought manufacturing
    jobs back to America, invested in skills and education, and begun to lay
    the groundwork for stronger, more durable economic growth.
    But we still have more work left to do to reverse the forces that have
    conspired against working Americans for decades. As we seek to
    strengthen our economy and our middle class, we must secure a better
    bargain for all--one where everyone who works hard in America has a
    chance to get ahead. I am committed to boosting economic mobility by
    empowering our workers and making sure an honest day's work is rewarded
    with an honest day's pay. My Administration is fighting for a fair
    minimum wage for every employee because nobody who works full-time
    should ever have to raise a family in poverty. We must also eliminate
    pay discrimination so women receive equal pay for equal work, combat
    unfair labor practices, and continue to defend the collective bargaining
    rights our parents and grandparents fought so hard for.
    As we celebrate Labor Day, we reflect on the efforts of those who came
    before us to increase opportunity, expand the middle class, and build
    security for our families, and we rededicate ourselves to moving forward
    with this work in our time. We stand united behind our great American
    workforce as we lay the path for economic growth and prosperity.
    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 1, 2014, as
    Labor Day. I call upon all public officials and people of the United
    States to observe this day with appropriate programs,

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    ceremonies, and activities that honor the contributions and resilience
    of working Americans.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
    August, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    ninth.
    BARACK OBAMA