NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
As we approach the Labor Day holiday weekend, an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, I want to recognize your hard work, dedication and commitment that has a profound impact on the Warfighter. Thank you for all you do and thank you for your service!
The origins of Labor Day stretch all the way back to the late nineteenth century. It all started with a parade on September 5, 1882, when members of New York’s Central Labor Union marched in protest of unsafe work conditions. Approximately 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to 42nd Street in New York City. Throughout the next few years, Labor Day celebrations spread to other major cities, and in 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law, officially declaring the first Monday of every September the national holiday we know today.
As laws and regulations were established, some of the early Labor Day celebrations were a time for the labor movement to celebrate its legislative accomplishments, including the 8-hour work day, 40-hour work week, the nation’s first child-labor laws, the establishment of the first national minimum wage and other workplace advances that many of us take for granted today. In 1962, the scope of Labor Day expanded again, when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order by giving federal employees the right to collective bargaining for the first time.
As Summer comes to an end and a new school year begins, Labor Day is often spent enjoying parades, picnics and parties. However you choose to spend your long weekend, I ask that you take time to recharge your batteries as needed -- it’s important for you and your family.
Mr. Knight and I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication. Get some rest, be safe this Labor Day holiday and keep safety at the forefront of everything you do.
Finally, I ask that you remember our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Guardians, who are deployed all over the world ensuring our freedom, and their families, in your thoughts not only during the upcoming holiday weekend, but each and every day.