Happy Labor Day 2010!

On behalf of the entire team at NPI, I'd like to wish all of our readers a Happy Labor Day. Today's the day when we honor the working men and women of America who made our lives better by fighting for better job conditions, economic security, and social justice. They brought us the minimum wage, the eight-hour day, and the forty hour week. They brought us fairer wages and better benefits.

But as President Obama declared in his Labor Day Proclamation, today isn't just about celebrating what was won in the past. It's also about recognizing the challenges that threaten our future prosperity:

Today, as we emerge from the worst recession since the Great Depression, far too many American workers remain without a job. With every work hour lost and every plant closure and layoff, families and communities struggle to make ends meet and face difficult decisions about how to stay afloat. Yet, in the face of this tremendous challenge, our workers have renewed their commitment to achieving the American dream by training and educating themselves for careers crucial to our long-term competitiveness. To rebuild our economy, my Administration is focusing on job training and investing in industries that cannot be outsourced. By focusing on recovery at home, we are saving or creating millions of jobs in America and supporting the working men and women who will drive our 21st-century economy.

Both of Washington's Democratic senators released statements for Labor Day, making the most of an opportunity to call for passage of the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010. Here's Patty Murray:

Washington state has the best workers in the world, but so many of them have seen their jobs and life savings disappear due to circumstances beyond their control.

[...]

I know our workers want to get back on the job, and I know our small businesses want to expand and add jobs. So I am going to fight for a small business lending fund bill that will allow them to do that. And I am never going to stop fighting to create jobs and opportunities for workers across Washington state.

And Maria Cantwell:

Addressing our unacceptably high unemployment is my top priority. We have taken concrete steps to address the abuses on Wall Street that have caused so much pain on Main Street. Now we must ensure that businesses across the country are able to access the capital they need so that they can unleash the productive power of our work force. That's why I am fighting in the United States Senate to get the Small Business Jobs Act passed and sent to the President when the Senate returns to Washington, D.C. next week. When we ask the question, 'Who will rebuild our economy?' the answer is, ‘The American worker.’

NPR's Scott Simon has also weighed in with a commentary in solidarity with Americans who can't find work, entitled, They'd Trade Labor Day for Days of Labor.

President Obama is due to address a gathering of working families in Milwaukee later today. The White House says he will announce a new $50 billion infrastructure initiative to fix crumbling roads, railways, bridges, and airport runways.

They've sent us an outline of the proposed initiative, but it's a bit vague, so we'll comment once we know more details, and once the President has spoken.