The first observance of Labor Day was likely on Sept. 5, 1882, when some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City for a parade.
That celebration inspired similar events across the country, and by 1894 more than half the states were observing a “workingmen’s holiday” on one day or another. Later that year, with Congress passing legislation and President Grover Cleveland signing the bill on June 29, the first Monday in September was designated “Labor Day.”
This national holiday is a creation of the labor movement in the late 19th century — and pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers. (U.S. Census)
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.
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.
