THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, August 30, 2014

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO MESSAGE: Celebrating our workers on Labor Day

WASHINGTON, DC In this weeks address, in celebration of Labor Day, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Prez honored hardworking Americans who have helped the economy grow and contributed to our booming energy, technology, manufacturing and auto industries. That progress can be advanced by raising the minimum wage and fighting for ways to strengthen the middle class.

The audio of the address and video of the message will be available online HERE.

Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas Prez

Spanish Weekly Address

The White House

Hi, everybody. Happy Labor Day weekend. I hope you spend time with your family.

We set aside Labor Day to honor the working men and women of America. And this Labor Day, weve got more American workers to celebrate. Over the past 53 months, our businesses have added nearly 10 million new jobs. Our energy, technology, manufacturing, and auto industries are all booming. Last month, for the first time since 1997, we created more than 200,000 jobs for the sixth straight month. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders worldwide have declared that the number one place to invest isnt China its America.

So there are reasons to be optimistic about where were headed.

Think about it this Labor Day. The things we now take for granted things like a 40-hour workweek and weekends, Social Security and Medicare, workplace safety laws and the right to organize for better pay and benefits we didnt always have those. Workers and the unions who get their back had to fight for them. And those fights built a stronger middle class.

To build a stronger middle class in todays changing economy, weve got to keep fighting. Weve got to fight for the right to health insurance. The right to fair pay, family leave, and flexibility. The right to a fair living wage. No one who works full-time should ever have to raise a family in poverty. Raising the minimum wage to ten dollars and ten cents an hour would be one of the best ways to give a boost to hardworking Americans and to our entire economy right now. It would help 28 million Americans from all walks of life pay the bills, provide for their kids, and spend that money at local businesses. And that grows the economy for everybody. America deserves a raise.

America has built the greatest middle class the world has ever known, not by making sure a fortunate few at the top do well, but by making sure that everyone whos willing to work hard and play by the rules can get ahead. Thats the bedrock this country is built on. Hard work. Responsibility. Sacrifice. And looking out for one another as one united American family.

Lets keep that in mind this Labor Day, and every day. Have a great weekend, everybody.

###