STEVEN SALAZAR: Labor Day: Honoring successes won and work still ahead

Labor Day honors all that America’s workers contribute to the nation and its growth. Labor is more than just work — it’s creating, improving and having an impact on the world around us. Labor Day marks the hard-fought path forged by workers, unions and advocates to make America the land of opportunity.

Since President Taft signed a law in 1913 to create the U.S. Department of Labor, the nation has continually made strides to improve life for America’s workers. In 1938, the Wage and Hour Division was established when the Fair Labor Standards Act became law.

Since then, the division has worked hard every day to promote compliance with the laws the agency enforces. Protecting the rights of workers — ensuring they receive lawfully owed wages, making sure young workers are employed safely, enabling workers to take leave to care for themselves or family members and allowing break time for nursing mothers — is no small task.

In 2023, the agency’s mission is more vital than ever. As a recent example, our investigations recently uncovered that a Zaxby’s franchisee based in Clarkesville and operating restaurants in Lithonia, Decatur and Stone Mountain employed 14- and 15-year-olds to work outside of the hours and duties the law permits.

The Wage and Hour Division works with employers, workers, advocates, state and federal partners to increase workplace compliance. While we can’t do this work alone, the division is filled with passionate people, many of whom have been personally impacted by the same concerns that they see in their investigations.

Labor Day is special to each of us. Our mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s work force, and we are honored and proud to accept that responsibility. Today, we are encouraged by how far we’ve come, but cases like the recent one in Georgia remind us how much work remains.