Coachella Valley celebrates Labor Day

Labor Day celebrates the social and economic achievements of workers in America.

For Patty Villalobos of La Quinta, the holiday is a much-needed day to relax.

“Having the day off, I’m shopping, spending time with family. No kids.” said Villalobos. “The kids are sleeping at home. No school today.”

While many people enjoy the day off doing things like shopping and dining out, a lot of people are working to provide those services at places like Westfield Shopping Town in Palm Desert.

All stores there were open for business and we’re told about 1,500 employees were on the job Monday. Stuft Pizza celebrated it’s first Labor Day at its new Palm Desert mall location and people packed the place ready to eat.

“Labor Day is a great day for us. We’re here to serve the people and make sure everyone has a safe and happy holiday. We’ve got to feed them,” said bar manager Rigo Hernandez.

The restaurant, known for its tasty pizza, employs more than 90 people, many who had to labor this Labor Day, but didn’t mind.

“We’re blessed. It’s the middle of summer and we’re busy here,” said Hernandez. “We should be fortunate that we have jobs, to protect our jobs and do the best we can.”

“I think it’s a neat thing for those who get to work and those who don’t. It’s a great day to celebrate labor,” said Anne McGibbon, of Rancho Mirage.