For
100 years, the U.S. Department of Labor has been promoting the welfare of
working Americans. On March 4, 1913, outgoing President William Howard Taft
reluctantly signed the law establishing the department. A few hours later,
newly-inaugurated President Woodrow Wilson appointed the first secretary of
labor. Both actions signaled a commitment by the government to serve working
Americans that has not wavered over the last century.
USDOL observed
its 100th anniversary this week with the raising of a centennial flag at its
Constitution Avenue entrance, a special centennial history Web page for the
public, a proclamation by the president, and an email to departmental employees
from Acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. "We share a lasting bond
with the men and women who came to work on that first day in 1913: a commitment
to an extraordinary mission, no matter the challenge, even in times of great
adversity," Harris wrote.
In his proclamation, President Obama said,
"the Department of Labor is working to restore the basic bargain that
built our country: that no matter what you look like or where you come from, if
you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead. It is forging
new ladders of opportunity so a generation of workers can get the 21st century
skills and training they need. And to preserve a century's progress in labor
rights, the department will continue to ensure hardworking Americans always
have a voice in government and on the job."
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