Public Employee Press

Huge Labor Day parade answers attacks on unions

By JANE LaTOUR

Over 50,000 members from 300 unions marched up Fifth Avenue Sept. 10 in New York City's annual Labor Day Parade. On the weekend of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the marchers remembered those who lost their lives and honored the workers who continue to die and suffer from diseases caused by their work at Ground Zero as well as the thousands who labored in the recovery efforts.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts brought her green-shirted union army and led the parade with labor leaders and political officials including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes, former AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and Vincent Alvarez, president of the New York City Central Labor Council, which sponsored the parade.

The 2011 parade had heightened significance because of the recent assault on the rights of public service employees launched in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states and the nationwide attacks on the labor movement from right-wing Republicans.

"This is a wake-up call," said Roberts. "Labor's not dead, and today's parade is bringing us together. The attacks on labor and the impact of all that is happening to the working class are a direct result of us voting - or not voting!" She led the DC 37 contingent on a float with union officers and was followed by members marching with their locals' banners.

"I wanted to join with my union and all the unions in the city today," said SSEU Local 371 member Michelle Artis. "I wanted to show that I am proud to be a union member." Artis worked for the Police Dept. as a member of Local 1549 and has been a Fraud Investigator for 16 years.

"I've been in a union since I was 14 years old. Labor Day is the workers' holiday and I come every year," said Local 372 member Esther Davis, a School Aide who retired recently.

Mark Reed, vice chair of Local 420's Queens Hospital Chapter and a 24-year veteran housekeeping staffer, said the labor movement "needs to change for the better. If we don't come together, we're going to fail."

Another marcher was Yvette Elliott, a School Lunch Helper who worked at a shelter in Bushwick when Hurricane Irene struck. From Friday night until Monday morning, she and four other Local 372 members distributed sheets, blankets and food to people who had been evacuated. "I was happy to be of service," she said.

Local 375 member George Sona, an Associate Project Manager, also worked long hours helping hurricane victims and never went home throughout the storm. "The important thing was to make sure people were safe," said the 23-year veteran Housing Authority employee.

Solidarity in motion

Caseworker Carmen Sullivan brought her children, Delroy, 3, and twins Shayla and Ricardo, 5. "I wanted to show the strength of the labor movement, and I want my children to see the union we are part of," she said.

Many disabled and retired members of DC 37 rode on a float, as unions celebrated labor's day with vintage cars, pipe and drum bands, banners and signs. Members in the parade carried placards that read, 'School support staff help our children learn. Stop the layoffs!' 'Stop giving public services to private profiteers,' 'Share the sacrifice: Extend the millionaires' tax,' 'TAX THE RICH: Stop destroying the middle class,' and 'Public employees are the heroes of 9/11.'

Auto Workers Local 259 members carried signs that said, 'Just say no to wage and benefit cuts.' Local 802 members added music to their messages: 'Save the NYC Opera!' 'Preserve live music!' and 'Fight for rights for jazz club musicians.' Members of the National Writers Union and U.S. Labor Against the War handed out flyers protesting the trillion-dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We make the city run. Today is a day for us to get the recognition we deserve," said Jeffrey Oshins, Local 375's labor and political activities chair. "I like to be out here when the unions are parading," said Local 1549 member Lattie Harris. "I want to be part of the struggle to preserve our jobs and our benefits." Thousands of union members showed their agreement by marching, as workers in New York City have done since 1882.