In honor of Labor Day, this stamp was released featuring a design from the mosaic mural at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington. The mural, called “Labor is Life,” was designed by artist Lumen Winter. Congress passed a law in 1894 designating the first Monday in September as a federal holiday called Labor Day. The First Day of Issue ceremony was, for the first time, preceded by a dedication ceremony – both of which took place in the White House Rose Garden. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is the largest related group of labor unions in the United States. The Federation (AFL), one of the first unions, was founded in 1886. Samuel Gompers was its first president. In the 1930s, several member unions broke away and formed the Congress (CIO). The two groups competed for members in what was sometimes a bitter rivalry, until in 1955 they again merged.