In his first official Labor Day proclamation, President Obama praised America’s workers and made it clear workers will pull the nation out of its economic crisis and “lead us into a new era of prosperity and progress.”

In the proclamation, Obama says:

Working Americans… have carried the nation through times of challenge and uncertainty and propelled America through eras of peace and prosperity. They have long formed the backbone of our nation’s economy, and they will continue to lead our nation to new heights in the years to come.

Obama is showing his commitment to working people by spending Labor Day at the Cincinnati AFL-CIO’s 23rd Annual Labor Day picnic, the largest event of its kind in the country. In a typical year the picnic draws in 15,000 to 20,000 people. Bill Clinton and Al Gore attended the picnic in 1992.