On this Labor Day, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez has called on all Americans to remember the hardworking men and women who are the “backbone of our nation” on this Labor Day and American Samoa Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga issued an identical message last week.

In his national statement, Perez says, “Labor Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions that working men and women make to our nation, our economy and our collective prosperity.”

“ It gives us a chance to show gratitude for workers' grit, dedication, ingenuity and strength, which define our nation's character,” he said, adding that the U.S. Labor Department “also provides an opportunity to reflect on how we can best serve and honor workers in return.”

This year, he said, workers are being honored by investing more than a $1 billion in job-driven training programs to give Americans the skills employers need. “We're honoring workers by promoting quality apprenticeships that will enable more people to ‘earn and learn’,”  he said.

“This Labor Day, let's remember that hardworking men and women are the backbone of our country, and let's redouble our efforts to uphold our nation's great promise to them: that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can make it in America,” he said. (Perez’s full statement is available at www.dol.gov)

For American Samoa, the governor said Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. “It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” he said in his proclamation declaring today’s Labor Day a holiday in the territory.

“...historically, we in American Samoa have not properly celebrated the contributions to our society, to our way of living, and to our successful transition over the last 50 years from a largely subsistence based economy to an industrial and service sector based economy, by a workforce of skilled and unskilled, blue and white collar, men and women, all of whom, collaboratively, have made us what we are today,” the governor said.

He said it’s appropriate that American Samoa pay tribute on Labor Day to the creators of so much of American Samoa’s strength, freedom and leadership - our working men and women.

American Samoa’s official Labor Day celebration was held last Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.