Poster: AFL-CIO New York City Central Labor Council
The AFL-CIO held its first Labor Parade since 2019. It’s always held on the Saturday after Labor Day. (Even union members want three-day weekends). This year’s theme was Workers Leading, Workers Rising.
The Grand Marshall was US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. He was joined in the front line by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Chuck Schumer.
Both are running for re-election this year but only Sen Schumer appeared to campaign. They were the only candidates in the parade.
The unions came in clusters.
The first group was those associated with the entertainment industry.
The construction trades came next.
Except for an occasional women’s committee, 95 percent of these marchers were men. Some brought their families.
Indeed children appeared to outnumber women. Since all wore union t-shirts, it was sometimes hard to tell who was a union member.
The pipers followed the plumbers.
Essential workers were not forgotten.
Not everyone walked.
High school bands brought music to the march, but probably not any union dues.
Heavily female unions made their appearance toward the end of the parade.
Three hours after the parade began, the last local was still waiting to walk.
Jo Freeman is a feminist scholar and author.
Copyright © 2022 Jo Freeman
