Presidential Document2023-19442
Labor Day, 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 7, 2023
Signed
September 1, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 172 (Thursday, September 7, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 172 (Thursday, September 7, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 61463-61465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19442]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 172 / Thursday, September 7, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 61463]]
Proclamation 10617 of September 1, 2023
Labor Day, 2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
I have often said that the middle class built this
country and that unions built the middle class. On
Labor Day, we honor that essential truth and the
dedication and dignity of American workers, who power
our Nation's prosperity.
They have built the railways, highways, and waterways
that connect us from coast to coast, have forged the
look and feel of American cities, and have protected
our communities and families as first responders.
Organized workers have fundamentally transformed how we
live and work in this country--from securing the 8-hour
work day and overtime pay to mandating standard safety
practices in workplaces and earning better health care,
pensions, and other benefits for all workers.
American workers are the best in the world, but over
the past few decades, too many leaders embraced an
economic theory that failed them and our unions. It is
called trickle-down economics. It is the belief that we
should cut taxes for the wealthy and big corporations
and wait for the benefits to trickle down to workers
and American families. It is a belief that we should
shrink public investment in infrastructure and public
education. It is a tax policy that encourages
corporations to move operations and jobs overseas.
Trickle-down policies slashed investments in people and
communities and allowed big corporations to amass more
power while limiting the ability of workers to join
unions. It did not matter where companies made things,
as long as it helped their bottom line--even if it
meant losing the very workers who had helped them
succeed. Companies cut staff, shipped good jobs
overseas, prioritized cheap labor, and silenced
workers' voices. As a result, factories and businesses
across the country shut down, entire communities were
hollowed out, and for many working people, a path to
better their circumstances would never be within reach.
People working as hard as ever could not get ahead
because it was harder to buy a home, pay for a college
education, start a business, and retire with dignity.
The moment we embraced trickle-down economics, we
walked away from who we are and from the way our Nation
was built.
I knew our Nation could not continue with those same
failed policies, so I came into office determined to
build an economy that grows from the middle out and
bottom up, not the top down. And it is working. We have
added over 13 million jobs, including 800,000
manufacturing jobs. We added more jobs in my first two
years than any President in a single 4-year term
because we are investing in America and Americans
again.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I signed is a once-
in-a-generation investment that puts Americans to work
rebuilding our Nation's infrastructure using American-
made materials. We have announced nearly 37,000 new
projects since we passed the bill. For me, it was a top
priority that the overwhelming majority of these
investments be covered by Davis-Bacon prevailing wage
requirements to make sure the hundreds of thousands of
jobs we create are good-paying jobs.
[[Page 61464]]
We passed the CHIPS and Science Act to bring
semiconductor manufacturing back to American shores and
ensure that the United States leads the world in
innovation. It has attracted over $166 billion in
investment and ignited a semiconductor manufacturing
boom. Our Inflation Reduction Act helps build the clean
energy industries of the future here at home while
incentivizing companies to adopt strong labor
standards. Our American Rescue Plan includes funding to
protect over two million union workers, retirees, and
their families from benefit cuts to the pensions they
have earned. All of these investments mean good-paying
jobs that American workers can raise their families on,
many of which do not require a 4-year college degree.
By investing more in Registered Apprenticeships and in
career and technical education programs than any
previous administration, we are ensuring that every
American--from every region and background--can access
the training and education needed to participate in our
Nation's economic prosperity. My Administration is
working to crack down on non-compete agreements that
keep 30 million Americans from taking new jobs with
higher wages in their field. We are taking action to
protect workers' health and safety from hazards they
may be exposed to on the job, such as silica dust and
other toxic materials. And my Administration is
empowering American workers and giving working families
some breathing room by bringing the cost of
prescription drugs and health care down for millions of
Americans.
I promised to be the most pro-union President in
history, and I firmly believe that every worker in
America should have the free and fair choice to join a
union or organize and bargain collectively with their
employer without coercion or intimidation. That is
because when organized labor wins, our Nation wins. My
Administration will continue to support and encourage
labor unions so that workers have a seat at the
decision-making table, an opportunity to speak truth to
power, and the support to fight for the dignity and
respect they deserve.
On Labor Day, we stand in solidarity with all the
workers who lift our Nation to new heights and all the
labor unions who give all workers power and voice. May
we continue working to restore the American Dream for
every person willing to work hard in our Nation by
embracing what has always been the foundation of our
country's success: investing in America and American
workers.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 4,
2023, 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 energy and innovation of working
Americans.
[[Page 61465]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-19442
Filed 9-6-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 7, 2023.
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