I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9419 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Peter McGuire in recognition of 
his contributions to the American Labor Movement. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 27, 2024 
Mr. NORCROSS (for himself, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. WILD, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. DAVIS 
of North Carolina, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. POCAN, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. 
TRAHAN, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. BUDZINSKI, and Mr. GOLD-
MAN of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee 
on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Peter McGuire 
in recognition of his contributions to the American Labor 
Movement. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Peter McGuire Con-
gressional Gold Medal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds following: 
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(1) Peter McGuire’s advocacy for the American 
Labor Movement led to great gains for American 
workers and their ability to organize and collectively 
bargain, especially in wages, worker solidarity, and 
the movement for the 8-hour workday. 
(2) Peter McGuire is known as the ‘‘Father of 
Labor Day and of May Day’’ for his contributions 
to American workers. 
(3) Mr. McGuire is recognized for building the 
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of 
America into a powerful force advocating for Amer-
ican workers, and one of the most powerful labor or-
ganizations in the world. 
(4) Within 2 years, Mr. McGuire’s St. Louis 
carpenters achieved such impressive success and 
wage gains that it attracted the attention of car-
penters across the United States. 
(5) In 1881, Mr. McGuire called for a national 
meeting of carpenters’ unions in Chicago which re-
sulted in the formation of the United Brotherhood 
of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and was 
elected the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and 
Joiners of America’s Chief Administrative Officer. 
(6) In 1881, Mr. McGuire wrote the convention 
call for the national conference of labor unions that 
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established the Federation of Organized Trades and 
Labor Unions, which, in 1886, reorganized into the 
American Federation of Labor. 
(7) Mr. McGuire was elected the first Secretary 
of the American Federation of Labor. 
(8) Mr. McGuire advocated admirably for an 8- 
hour workday, and his action resulted in meaningful 
gains for the 8-hour workday movement. Mr. 
McGuire led impactful strikes in 1886 and 1890, 
which put the 8-hour workday on the minds of the 
American public. The latter strike resulted in espe-
cially impressive gains for workers, and one of the 
most successful strikes of the 19th century: over 
23,000 carpenters in 36 cities gained the 8-hour 
workday, and 32,000 others gained the nine-hour 
workday. 
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 
the House of Representatives and the President pro tem-
pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 
for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a single 
gold medal of appropriate design in honor of Peter 
McGuire in recognition of his contributions to the Amer-
ican Labor Movement. 
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(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 
of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 
devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor. 
(c) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 
gold medal in honor of Peter McGuire, the gold 
medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution 
National Museum of American History, where it will 
be available for display as appropriate and available 
for research. 
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that the National Museum of American 
History should make the gold medal awarded pursu-
ant to this Act available for display elsewhere, par-
ticularly at appropriate locations associated with the 
American Labor Movement or the Gilded Age. 
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price 
sufficient to cover the costs thereof, including labor, mate-
rials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 
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