[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9316 of September 4, 2015

Labor Day, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Every year, our Nation sets aside Labor Day to celebrate the working men
and women of America, whose grit and resilience have built our country
and made our economic progress possible. Our economy has now added 8
million jobs over the past 3 years, a pace that has not been exceeded
since 2000, and our businesses have created 13.1 million jobs over 66
straight months--extending the longest streak on record. By almost every
measure, the American economy and our workers are better off than when I
took office; but this has not come easy, and our work is not yet done.
These gains are part of our Nation's long legacy of fighting for middle-
class economics--policies that ensure opportunity is open to everyone
who is willing to work hard and play by the rules--and they have made
America stronger and more prosperous. As a Nation, we can build on these
advances and accelerate our progress. History shows that working
families can get a fair shot in this country, but only if we are willing
to organize and fight for it. Together, we can ensure our growing
economy benefits everyone and fuels rising incomes and a thriving middle
class.
At the beginning of the last century, Americans came together to fight
for dignity and justice in the workplace. With courage and determina

[[Page 3421]]

tion, women and men stood up, marched, and raised their voices for a 40-
hour workweek, weekends, and workplace safety laws. It is because of
workers who agitated--and the unions who had their backs--that we enjoy
many of the protections we often take for granted today, including
overtime pay, a minimum wage, and the right to organize for better pay
and benefits. These hard-won victories are the foundation of our robust
middle class, which has led to the largest, most prosperous economy in
the world, and they are central to the belief that our economy does not
grow from the top down--it grows from the middle out.
As President, I am committed to defending these pillars of opportunity
and bolstering our Nation's pathways into the middle class. That is why
I have been fighting since day one to secure a better bargain for all
Americans--one where an honest day's work is rewarded with an honest
day's pay, where our workplaces are safer, and where it is easier, not
harder, to join a union. Policies like paid sick days, paid family and
medical leave, workplace flexibility, the right to organize, and equal
pay for equal work are national economic priorities that are essential
to building an economy that benefits from the contributions of all our
people. And because everyone has the right to a fair living wage, I
signed an Executive Order to raise the minimum wage for workers on new
Federal contracts, and I have called on the Congress to raise the
national minimum wage. Additionally, my Administration has proposed
extending overtime pay to nearly 5 million workers, which would give
more Americans the chance to be paid for their extra hours of work or
have more time at home with their families.
Since I took office, Governors, mayors, and local leaders have joined me
in expanding these policies by enacting paid sick days and paid family
leave and raising the minimum wage in States, cities, and counties
across our Nation. Still, more work remains because in America, no one
who is working full-time should have to raise their family in poverty. A
secure future should be possible for everyone who clocks in each
morning, every parent who works the graveyard shift to provide for their
family, and every young person who dreams of going to college and knows
that with hard work they can get there. That is the future we are
fighting for, and I will keep pushing until the American dream is within
the reach of all people who are willing to work for it. This Labor Day,
let us remember the struggles and the progress that have defined
America, and let us resolve to continue building a Nation where everyone
is treated fairly, where hard work pays off, and where all things are
possible for all people.
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 7, 2015, 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 fourth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA