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State Senator Charles W. Wiger District 55 141 State Office Bldg. 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155-1206 Telephone (651) 296-6820 sen.chuck.wiger@senate.mn |
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| LABOR DAY: THANK YOU WORKERS! | ||||||||||||
Labor Day is almost here. Most people enjoy the long weekend by camping, grilling out, going to the State Fair, watching the MDA telethon, finishing back-to-school shopping, or just sitting back and relaxing. Of course, many people must still work during the holiday weekend. Whatever you are doing, I encourage you to reflect on what Labor Day symbolizes.
The United States Department of Labor states, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” See the Department's website, http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm, for helpful background about the tribute to labor.
Our country has been shaped by the hard work of its labor workforce. From farmers working in their fields to supply our nation and the world with food, to the factory workers that manufacture our nation’s many products, we owe a great deal of gratitude to the sacrifices they have made to make our country great.
President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”
The work and effort he was referring to is happening everyday and that labor is often unacknowledged. From members of the military protecting our country to road construction employees working to keep our drive to work safe, we should take some time this weekend to be thankful for our workers dedication.
Our thanks is expressed well in this poem written by Bernard Howe, Poetry from the Heart:
Labor Day Tribute
Men and women working hard
trying to earn their pay.
They're honored for their deeds
on this here Labor Day.
From workers in the factories
to our people in uniform.
We salute you on this day
for the deeds that you perform.
Caring for your families
providing for their needs.
We honor you this day
like that declaration reads.
Jobs have changed a lot
in over a hundred years.
Technology is changing
along with many careers.
But labor is still needed
and they still need a day.
Where we can say thank you
throughout the U.S.A.
Happy Labor Day everyone!
As always, please contact me with questions or suggestions about any issue. Please visit my Senate website at senate.mn/senatorwiger. I also encourage you to visit me at the Capitol, or let me know if you’d like me to stop by your home or apartment. Also, please tune in to my local cable TV show, “Your Capitol: What’s Up?,” which appears on public access channels 15 and 16.
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