U.S. LABOR SECRETARY PEREZ ISSUES LABOR DAY STATEMENT

FROM:  U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT 
Statement on Labor Day by Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement today to commemorate Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 2:
On Labor Day, we pay tribute and say thanks to the people who build our nation's strength, character and prosperity. American workers are the most industrious, the most capable and the most diligent in the world. There is no challenge they don't embrace, no hardship they can't overcome.

"Our grit and determination has been put to the test recently, as we've endured the most crippling recession in 80 years. But now we are turning the corner. In the past 41 months, we've created 7.3 million jobs. The auto industry, which was flat on its back a few years ago, is surging again. Unemployment is at its lowest level since 2008. And the economy continues to grow as we provide affordable health care for every American. But there's no question we can and must do more.
"Our common agenda must be jobs, jobs, jobs. Working together, we can unleash the economy's full potential, secure a better bargain for the middle class and expand opportunities for everyone.

"Over the past 100 years, one federal agency has been workers' strongest ally and fiercest advocate: the U.S. Department of Labor. Our job is to make the American Dream a reality for all. To do that, we are investing in higher education and working closely with employers to provide workers with the state-of-the-art skills they need to succeed in 21st century jobs. We're making sure workers come home safely to their families at the end of every day, partnering with responsible employers to ensure the most exacting standards on occupational safety and health. We're continuing our strong efforts and unparalleled commitment to protect workers' benefits, so they can retire with dignity and security. And we're fighting for an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. It's a moral and economic imperative that we raise the federal minimum wage. People who work full-time in America shouldn't live in poverty.

"On Labor Day, we reflect on the men and women whose heads, hearts and hands have made ours the strongest economy the world has ever known. To meet the challenges ahead, we must draw inspiration from their stories. We must emulate their strength and resilience. We must summon their dignity and their courage.
"As the first Labor Secretary of the department's second century, I have every confidence that, powered by the talent and determination of our workers, we will create more opportunity in the years ahead. Best wishes for a safe, healthy and prosperous Labor Day."

SECRETARY OF LABOR SOLIS'S STATEMENT ON LABOR DAY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Statement on Labor Day by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement today to commemorate Labor Day on Sept. 3:

"On the first Monday of September, we honor the workers who built the world's strongest economy. This Labor Day, as the U.S. Department of Labor approaches our centennial celebration, I take extra pride in the historic efforts of today's workers to drive our recovery by learning new skills and adapting to new challenges.

"For more than two centuries, the prospect of work has drawn people to our shores to pursue new opportunities and dreams of a better life. The demands on our workers have changed over the generations, but we've always risen to the occasion.

"During the Industrial Age, factory workers saw their knowledge and paychecks grow as they mastered new processes to mass produce everything from automobiles to armaments. Following the Great Depression, more than 6 million women joined the workforce, clocking in at shipyards, lumber mills and foundries, and their production helped us win the Great War. And the Internet age carried the talents of our workers across the globe, as our ideas and products reached new markets and brought the world closer together.

"As I mark my fourth Labor Day as the nation's secretary of labor, I'm inspired by job seekers from all walks of life in this country going back to school and upgrading their skills to match the demands of a 21st century global economy. I'm impressed by communities coming together and new partnerships being formed among employers, labor unions and community colleges. And I'm reminded that for this federal agency and this administration, Labor Day has been, and will always be, every single day.

EX-IMPORT BANK TOUTS 276,000 SUPPORTED BY FINANCING

Photo Credit:   Wikimedia.
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Labor Day 2012 Sees More Than 276,000 Jobs Supported by
Export Financing Provided by Ex-Im Bank
WASHINGTON, DC --- As Americans celebrate the unofficial end of summer this Labor Day, more than 276,000 American workers and their families are benefiting from jobs that are being supported by export financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).

"Export-intensive industries pay higher wages than domestic-oriented industries in large metropolitan areas," said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of Ex-Im. "So this Labor Day Ex-Im Bank is again on track for another record year providing financing for buyers of U.S. goods and services, and in doing so is fulfilling its mission of helping create and sustain American jobs."

As August began Ex-Im Bank had authorized 3,055 separate transactions totaling $25.8 billion, which in turn supported about $39 billion in export sales.

Businesses employing dozens to thousands of Americans are supported by Ex-Im Bank financing. Among the companies benefitting from export financing from Ex-Im are:
· FirmGreen Inc., a small renewable-energy company based in Newport Beach, Calif., and other U.S. green technology suppliers who were able to export equipment and services for an innovative biogas project at the Novo Gramacho land fill near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ex-Im provided the buyers a $46.8 million loan for the project which directly generated 165 new jobs at facilities in seven states: Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Michigan, Missouri and Texas.
· Trench-Tech International, Inc. a small business in Roanoke, Texas is exporting its TT2550 chain trencher to a buyer in Mexico with the support of a $970,000 Ex-Im guaranteed medium-term loan from Citi Commercial Bank.
· Tetra Tech, a small business in Pasadena, Calif. is supplying design and construction services for a desperately-needed water supply system in Sri Lanka because of a $64.9 million Ex-Im Bank direct loan to the Sri Lankan government. The transaction will support approximately 400 American jobs in Denver and Longmont, Colo.; Morris Plains, N.J.; Langhorne, Pa.; and Fairfax, Va.
· The Boeing Co. employed thousands of workers in Washington State and elsewhere to complete and deliver to Ethiopian Airlines the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivered to any airline outside of Japan, which is also the first 787 to be financed by Ex-Im Bank.