As the years have passed, the call for fair labor conditions still echoes within our walls. John Hill from the same agency points out, “We have been calling for a living wage since 1908. It’s both inspiring and frustrating. We must live out these values and challenge the systems that prevent them from becoming a reality.”

So, as we enjoy this Labor Day weekend, we also recognize that the fight for fair labor practices is far from over.

For equal rights and complete justice for all (people) in all stations of life. [For equal opportunities and full justice for everyone, regardless of their background or social status.]

For the principle of conciliation and arbitration in industrial dissensions. [For peaceful resolution and mediation in workplace conflicts.]

For the protection of the worker from dangerous machinery, occupational diseases, injuries and mortality. [For workplace safety measures that protect employees from hazardous equipment, occupational illnesses, and injuries.]

For the abolition of child labor. [For the complete elimination of the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially, or morally harmful.]

For such regulation of the conditions of labor for women as shall safeguard the physical and moral health of the community. [For regulations that ensure the well-being and ethical treatment of women in the workforce.]

For the suppression of the “sweating system.” [For the eradication of exploitative labor practices, often referred to as the “sweating system.” where employers aim to “sweat” the maximum amount of work out of laborers for the least amount of pay.]

For the gradual and reasonable reduction of hours of labor to the lowest practical point, with work for all; and for that degree of leisure for all which is the condition of the highest human life. [For a reasonable and gradual reduction of working hours to a sustainable level, ensuring employment for all and allowing time for personal growth.]

For a release from employment one day in seven. [For at least one day off from work per week.]

For a living wage in every industry. [For a wage that meets the basic cost of living in every sector.]

For the highest wage that each industry can afford, and for the most equitable division of the products of industry that can ultimately be devised. [For the best possible wages that each industry can sustain, along with a fair distribution of industry profits.]