[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9486 of September 2, 2016

Labor Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The strongest middle class the world has ever known was not built
overnight. It was achieved by men and women who believed that living up
to the promise of this Nation meant more than hoping for the best--it
meant toiling in the day, working through the night, and proving that
theirs was a future worth fighting for. On Labor Day, we celebrate the
grit and resilience of America's workers and their families, and we
recommit to reaching for a world in which they are afforded the rights
and opportunities they deserve.
America celebrated its first Labor Day in the late 19th century, when a
group of industrial workers in New York joined in common purpose to
celebrate their contributions to our country. Growing in numbers by the
thousands, they went without their daily pay to march for their cause--
setting in motion a labor movement that has inspired generations of
Americans since. Clear-eyed and persistent, these hardworking union
members, and those that followed in the path they forged, helped secure
privileges we now take for granted--not only for themselves, but also
for their friends and loved ones and neighbors. Their efforts brought
about weekends and 40-hour workweeks, overtime pay and a minimum wage,
and the collective bargaining rights that have empowered so many.
Because of the battles they waged, our Nation benefits from health
insurance and Medicare, Social Security, and other retirement programs.
Their legacy is one we will never stop striving to uphold.
When I took office, our country faced the worst recession many of us had
ever seen. But through the determination of our resilient workforce--the
best workers on the planet--we have been able to lay a stronger
foundation for our economy. Our auto industry has emerged stronger than
ever, and the manufacturing sector, on the decline during the Great
Recession and in its aftermath, has added over 800,000 new jobs.
American businesses have added 15.1 million jobs since 2010.

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We are now in the middle of the longest streak of overall job growth on
record, and wage growth has accelerated.
My priority since taking office has always been the well-being of the
American people, and over the course of my Administration, I have taken
steps to make sure everyone in our workforce is treated and compensated
in ways that reflect the effort they put in. Whether by pursuing
measures that can help ensure a fair day's pay for a hard day's work,
updating occupational health and safety rules so that no one has to risk
their life or health for their job, or working with State leaders to
increase access to paid sick and family leave, we have made great
strides on our journey to protecting and growing the middle class. We
are working to increase and diversify apprenticeships as part of a job-
driven skills agenda, and protect middle class savings by expanding
retirement security. And by striving to close the gender pay gap,
include more veterans and Americans with disabilities in our workforce,
protect people who choose to organize a union in their workplaces, and
prevent people from being denied opportunities because of who they are
or who they love, we have moved closer to giving all our people an equal
shot at making it in our global economy.
On Labor Day, we are reminded that jobs are about more than a paycheck.
They afford us the ability to take care of our family, friends, and
neighbors; to save for that well-deserved retirement; to give back to
our communities and the country we would do anything for. Jobs allow us
to dream, to look toward the future, and to encourage our children to do
the same. Though there is much more to do until all our men and women
have the rights and respect they need to thrive in their workplaces, on
this occasion, let us recommit to standing together and resolving to
create change. If we do, I am confident we can reach new heights for
ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come.
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 5, 2016, 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 second day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA