(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Rush Holt, NJ - 12th)
On Labor Day, we pay tribute to the men and women who have formed the backbone of our nation’s economy. We honor those who have fought to strengthen and expand the rights of all employees to ensure they receive fair compensation and are assured of strong workplace safety laws. They are as recognizable as Samuel Gompers, the first and longest-serving president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and as anonymous as the millions who every day go to work to provide for their families and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.
On this Labor Day, my Labor Hero is Mary Norton, who represented Central New Jersey in Congress from 1925 to 1950 and served as Chair of the House Committee on Labor from 1937 to 1946. As the first woman to represent an eastern state in the House of Representatives, Ms. Norton helped enact the groundbreaking Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 – which established the 40-hour work week, outlawed child labor, and established the first federal minimum wage – and fought for equal pay for women. Last year I had the honor of joining Chairman Miller and others in unveiling the portrait of Ms. Norton in Committee. Her tireless advocacy serves as inspiration for me as we continue the struggle for fair wages and equal pay for equal work.
On Labor Day, we pay tribute to the men and women who have formed the backbone of our nation’s economy. We honor those who have fought to strengthen and expand the rights of all employees to ensure they receive fair compensation and are assured of strong workplace safety laws. They are as recognizable as Samuel Gompers, the first and longest-serving president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and as anonymous as the millions who every day go to work to provide for their families and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.
On this Labor Day, my Labor Hero is Mary Norton, who represented Central New Jersey in Congress from 1925 to 1950 and served as Chair of the House Committee on Labor from 1937 to 1946. As the first woman to represent an eastern state in the House of Representatives, Ms. Norton helped enact the groundbreaking Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 – which established the 40-hour work week, outlawed child labor, and established the first federal minimum wage – and fought for equal pay for women. Last year I had the honor of joining Chairman Miller and others in unveiling the portrait of Ms. Norton in Committee. Her tireless advocacy serves as inspiration for me as we continue the struggle for fair wages and equal pay for equal work.
