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| Secretary Herman greets workers during the
annual Labor Day celebration sponsored by New York City's trade unions
Wednesday in Central Park. |
For more than 100 years, America has set aside a day to honor the
contributions that workers have made to the strength,
prosperity and well-being of our nation.
On Labor Day 1999 we have much to celebrate: Our economy is booming. Our
budget deficit is tamed. Inflation is in check. Our unemployment rate is at a
30-year low. American workers have opportunities unlike any they have had
before.
But on this last Labor Day of the 20th Century, we must also look ahead at
the future of work and at the hopes and aspirations of the next generation of
American working families.
The workplace is undergoing rapid change. So are American workers.
Technology, globalization and new demographics are constantly redefining what
work is. We know that as changes come and years pass, three things remain
constant: American workers must have a balance between work and family, rising
economic security, and workplaces that are safe and fair. Our challenge is to
keep this foundation firm as we manage the changes.
For the federal workforce, technology is transforming the delivery of
services and the transmission of information while providing more flexibility.
Lifelong learning is now a part of our mission. Early this year President
Clinton set up a task force to look at ways we can use technology to improve
training for federal workers. The Labor Department and the Office of Personnel
Management co-chair this task force. At Labor, we are ready to launch Web-based
training. This, I'm sure, is just the beginning.
For workers, employers and families to thrive in the coming decades, we
must make the right choices today. We must choose to provide workers with the
education and training they need to be skilled for tomorrow's jobs. We must
help every worker at every level to have the flexibility to succeed on the job
and at home. And we must choose to embrace and value the diversity that is our
destiny.
Work must always be about more than just a paycheck. Work is central to who
we are and how we define our society. Along with faith and family, work is
perhaps the most important institution in our culture. Through work -- and
working together -- we pave a path toward a better, more secure future.
Happy Labor Day.
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