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We dedicate Labor Day each year to the social and economic contributions American workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

While the first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, it would not become a nationally recognized holiday until 1894. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act designating the first Monday of September the legal holiday we observe today.

More than a century later, the jury is still out on who founded Labor Day – Peter McGuire, the cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, or Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York City, which is credited with executing that first celebration in 1882.

During the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to make ends meet.

On Labor Day, it is important to reflect on the strides made by American workers and their contributions to industry and innovation.

As we look forward to a Labor Day weekend full of parades, picnics and celebrations, I wish you a safe and restful Labor Day.