Chicago mayor commemorates first Labor Day in office with video tribute on social media

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former lobbyist and activist for the Chicago Teachers Union, marked his first Labor Day in office with a video tribute shared on social media.

Johnson campaigned as a progressive focused on addressing the needs of working-class Chicagoans.

In May, he introduced a new position within his administration: Deputy Mayor for Labor Relations.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden also honored American workers on Monday, making a stop in Philadelphia to tout his economic policies.

The Democratic president spoke about how the economy is recovering from the crippling coronavirus pandemic and about what his administration has done to pay for infrastructure improvements, and he cited the importance of unions in building the middle class.

"This Labor Day we’re celebrating jobs, good-paying jobs, jobs you can raise a family on, union jobs," Biden told the crowd gathered Monday. Instead of standing at the podium, the president held the microphone in his hand and walked around the stage behind signs that read "UNION STRONG."

Labor Day, a holiday honoring workers, comes this year against the backdrop of increasingly emboldened U.S. unions of all kinds and a potential strike by 146,000 United Auto Workers union members. But it also comes as the U.S. has added jobs and more people have begun looking for work, the most since January, news Biden is eager to highlight as he seeks reelection in 2024.

Biden was making his Labor Day speech days after news that America’s employers added 187,000 jobs in August, evidence of a slowing but still-resilient labor market despite the high interest rates the Federal Reserve has imposed.

Associated Press contributed to this report.