[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