While every speaker talked of the need to rebuild the city's economy, it fell to DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts to emphasize labor's unfinished agenda:

"New York State has the greatest gap between rich and poor in the U.S. We must bridge this gap," she said. "We need to fight for a living wage, a higher minimum wage and a jobs program." The best way to honor the dead, she said, is to "continue the fight for a better future!"

Hundreds of DC 37 members at the rally emphatically supported this message.

"The Republicans are not too labor prone at all," said Local 768 retiree Arlene Tuff, who faced complex problems in her career at the Health Dept., such as tuberculosis and sexually transmitted
diseases.

For Delegate Dawn Jones of SSEU Local 371, the dual significance of the day was paramount. Jones lost a close friend on Sept. 11, and volunteered her services after that day for months to come as a counselor through the National Action Network.

Said Ms. Jones, "Many city workers routinely put their lives on the line."

Audrey Iszard, vice president of the DC 37 Retirees Association, spoke about the special nature of the commemoration: "On Labor Day, we pay homage to the working people and to those who built the labor movement, as well as to those who have sacrificed their lives for others."