New York City Labor Day Parade Features Non-Union Workers for the First Time

by Stephanie Colombini | 09/01/2014 | 5:00am

New York City Labor Day Parade Features Non-Union Workers for the First Time

New York City's hosted an annual Labor Day parade for over a century. But this year's going to be different from the rest.

This year's theme for the New York City Labor Day Parade's One City.  Five Boroughs.  All Workers.  That's according to President of the city's Labor Council Vincent Alvarez.

"We're looking to bring together and celebrate the contributions of working people who are predominantly from unions here in the city, but also to talk about and bring together workers who don't have the benefit of a collective bargaining agreement and of a union card," he said.

Alvarez says non-union workers have been involved in the parade in the past.  But he says this is the first year New Yorkers in lower-paying jobs, like car wash and fast food workers, will truly get to march alongside their unionized counterparts. 

"We think it's important for economic reasons, but we think it's also important for moral reasons that we're standing side by side with our brothers and sisters from different industries that are being exploited and, unfortunately, all too often are being left behind," he said.

Alvarez says the Labor Council will join workers to call for an end to income inequality.  They want to work with the city's elected officials to develop better economic policies in the coming year. 

The New York City Labor Day Parade is Saturday, September 6.

 

 

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