Working People Across the Country Celebrate Labor Day
At marches and rallies, picnics and parades, Workers’ Labor Day is a celebration of working people. And with more than 1,000 events held this week, it’s a celebration of the power we have when we come together in a union—the power to take back our country for working people, not billionaires. Here’s a sampling of what working people did and said this Labor Day.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler: Shuler spent the day at the 46th Annual Labor Solidarity Parade and Picnic in Los Angeles. Sponsored by the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition, more than 3,000 people attended and participated in the labor fair with many vendors and booths that provided attendees with information and concrete actions to take part in.
“Everything we have ever won as workers in this country—every good contract, every raise, every protection on the job, every weekend we ever enjoyed,” Shuler said. “That wasn’t handed to us! We have that because we fought for it and won, didn’t we? So I need to know: Are y’all ready to fight? Are you ready to take on the greedy CEOs and the billionaires? Are you ready to stand up for the working people around you and your community and build the country that all workers deserve? Thank you so much and happy Labor Day!”
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond: Redmond participated in the 38th Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade 2025, sponsored by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO. For the first time, this year’s parade went through South Philly, embracing workers who have been left behind in the past. Afterward a labor festival was held at the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local 19 hall.
“It is my honor to help lead the Labor Day Parade in this city that holds such a foundational place in our nation’s history,” Redmond said ahead of this year’s festivities. “The birthplace of our democracy and home to a labor movement like no other, when we march on the streets of Philadelphia, we are going to make a statement on our strength and solidarity in these times of unprecedented attacks on working people and our well-being.”
Redmond will also attend the 2025 New York City Labor Day Parade sponsored by the New York City Central Labor Council on Sept. 6.
AFGE: National President Everett Kelley and National Vice President Jason Anderson attended the Detroit Labor Day March sponsored by the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO. Kelley also attended events in Phoenix on Aug. 29 and Cincinnati on Aug. 30.
AFSCME: President Lee Saunders also appeared at the 38th Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade 2025 sponsored by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO. “This Labor Day comes at a pivotal time in our nation’s history,” Saunders said. “Working people and our freedom to organize are under attack like never before. Anti-union extremists and the yes-men in Congress have rigged the economy to benefit themselves while throwing working families under the bus. They’re gutting our health care and raising our living expenses while giving even more tax breaks to billionaires and Wall Street bankers. Instead of helping working families, they’re trying to cut our wages, weaken our contracts, and privatize public services—all so the rich can get richer. AFSCME’s 1.4 million members know what’s at stake and we’re not backing down. We stand with our union family in Philadelphia and across the country in fighting back against these attacks on public service workers and our families.”
American Federation of Musicians: International President Tino Gagliardi issued a statement: “‘Workers deserve the freedom, fairness, and security that come with a union.’ This is not just a slogan; it’s the fundamental principle that drives every negotiation, contract, and campaign. We must continue to stand together, as musicians and as part of the broader labor movement, to protect past gains and secure a better future for everyone.”
American Federation of Teachers: President Randi Weingarten participated in the Chicago Labor Day March sponsored by the Chicago Federation of Labor and Chicago Teachers Union. She also attended the 2025 Women of Labor Breakfast and Call to Action sponsored by the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation on Aug. 30. Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus attended the Detroit Labor Day March sponsored by the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO.
American Guild of Musical Artists: President Ned Hanlon posted a Labor Day video, where he said: “Today, more than ever, I am proud to be an AGMA artist, a union member and a part of a global workers’ movement that is asserting its power. In the face of vicious and sustained anti-worker attacks, today is a day for workers to stand up and fight for what we deserve: Freedom, Fairness and Security.”
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: President Sara Nelson also appeared at the first Labor Day parade in Boston and march to City Hall sponsored by the Greater Boston Labor Council. “A hundred years ago workers didn’t have legal rights,” Nelson said “We organized and built solidarity, set our demands, conducted massive strikes including general strikes in cities across the country. That’s the working class power that had corporations begging for stability with labor law. It gave FDR the power to sign into law Social Security, workplace safety, wage and hour protections, the minimum wage, and the right to join a union.”
Bricklayers: President Tim Driscoll attended the 2025 Labor Day Parade and Festival sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Labor Council. Watch the video statement above.
Communications Workers of America: President Claude Cummings Jr. also attended the Detroit Labor Day March sponsored by the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO. Cummings issued a statement: “What unites us through our disagreements and discussions are our values and our vision for the future. We love our families and our countries. We want everyone in our communities to have the freedom to be themselves, pursue their dreams, and have a good life. We believe in prosperity, justice, and security for all, not just the very rich. This Labor Day, those values and that vision are under threat. A new generation of oligarchs is bent on seizing control of our country and using their obscene wealth to capture and corrupt our government.”
Culinary Workers Union Local 226/UNITE HERE: Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge issued a statement: “This year, the Culinary Union is celebrating its 90th anniversary and a proud legacy of fighting and winning for working families in Nevada. For nearly a century, our union has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with workers, transforming Nevada’s largest industry into one where hospitality workers have strong contracts, fair wages, and respect on the job. Generations of workers sacrificed and organized to win the union difference. Our history proves that when workers are united, we win. We’ve built real power for the working class in Nevada and we are proud to carry forward the militant rank-and-file organizing and direct action that built our union. We will keep fighting and winning for working families across the state.”
Electrical Workers: International Vice President Mike Clemmons also attended the Detroit Labor Day March sponsored by the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO.
International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers: General President Michael Coleman released a video: “We are a movement. A movement for justice, for equality, for the working class. As SMART members, we build our two nations, and we make our supply chains move. We also show working people all over the power of solidarity.”
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers: President Matthew Biggs and Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson released a statement: “As we are all aware, the purpose of Labour Day is to honor and recognize the achievements and innovations brought to our society by workers and their Labor Unions. At IFPTE, our members keep the lights on for our fellow citizens; design and engineer the safest airplanes in the world; are working toward putting astronauts back on the moon and eventually to Mars; serve the public with pride at the federal, provincial, state, and local government levels; and represent the most vulnerable among us in the legal arena. As a union, we take pride in the work that all of our members perform and are proud to stand arm in arm with all of you to ensure that we all have a voice on the job, safety and accountability in our workplaces, and enjoy wages, pensions and benefits that are truly worthy of our labor. Indeed, on this Labor Day, we should all take a moment to savor all that we have accomplished as workers and as unions.”
Ironworkers: General President Eric Dean will attend the Labor Day Parade & Eddie Fest sponsored by the Chicago Federation of Labor and Chicago Teachers Union on Sept. 6.
Laborers: General President Brent Booker participated in the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade.
Machinists: International President Brian Bryant issued a statement: “As we celebrate Labor Day, I want to take a moment to recognize and honor the incredible contributions of members like you across our union and beyond. Labor Day is not just any other holiday—it’s a powerful reminder that we are the backbone of our society, the builders of our economy, and the fighters for fairness, dignity, and respect in the workplace. It’s also a day that was founded by a Machinist all the way back in 1882….Our freedom to organize, to stand together, and to advocate for our rights is a hard-won treasure—and it is under attack like few times in our history. It is the foundation upon which we continue to fight for better wages, safe working conditions, and respect on the job. This day is a celebration of our collective strength and resilience, but also a call to action to use our rights and voice to push for the fairness we deserve.”
Major League Baseball Players Association: The MLBPA released the above statement.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association: President Nick Daniels released a video: “Today, we celebrate the unwavering dedication of our members who keep our country moving. Let this day remind us that our strength lies in our solidarity and unity. This year, NATCA members came together, joining other labor unions to successfully protect our federal retirement benefits. We continue our advocacy efforts by seeking parity with the annual military increase in pay for civilian federal employees, solutions to critical staffing shortages, and modernization of our equipment and facilities.”
National Association of Letter Carriers: President Brian Renfroe also appeared at the 38th Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade 2025 sponsored by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO. “Labor Day was built by and fought for by working people,” Renfroe said. “Every year, it is a powerful reminder that working people keep our country running. I look forward to celebrating with our siblings in Philadelphia, one of America’s great union cities. This year has been challenging for working people, especially those in the federal sector who have constantly been under attack. On this Labor Day, as we come together to celebrate, we recommit to our unified fight for fair pay and workplaces, safe working conditions and the right to organize for all workers.”
National Hockey League Players’ Association: The NHLPA released the following statement: “Today, we celebrate the many achievements of the labor movement and all workers across Canada and the United States, whose workplace rights deserve to be fought for and protected.”
National Nurses United: Nurses from University Medical Center New Orleans were joined by community members, labor allies and union leaders as they rallied for a first contract with LCMC Health, their employer.
NFL Players Association: Interim Executive Director David White and President Jalen Reeves-Maybin released a video:
Office and Professional Employees: President Tyler Turner participated in the Tarrant County Labor Fest sponsored by the Tarrant County (Texas) Central Labor Council. Turner also issued a statement: “This Labor Day, we’re reflecting on the strength and solidarity union members have shown throughout the past year. Despite lopsided labor laws, an anti-union administration and a rollback of rights, workers across the country are forming unions with OPEIU and winning the contracts they deserve. Workers at hospitals, credit unions, public utilities, record labels, tech companies, nonprofits, colleges and universities and other industries are coming together in union despite the odds. We look forward to continuing to build union power across industries in pursuit of economic, racial and social justice at work and in our communities. May you and your loved ones have a wonderful Labor Day.”
Painters and Allied Trades: General President Jimmy Williams also appeared at the first Labor Day parade in Boston and march to City Hall sponsored by the Greater Boston Labor Council. “This Labor Day, every worker in America needs to remember one thing: the billionaire class doesn’t build this country—we do.” Williams said. “And they’re hell-bent on stripping away our rights at the bargaining table to squeeze out more profits. Workers across this nation must embrace each other in solidarity and fight back. Because when we stand shoulder to shoulder, we are the power in this nation—and no billionaire, no politician, no boss can take that from us.”
Roofers and Waterproofers: The Roofers and Waterproofers paid tribute to their members.
Service Employees International Union: SEIU Local 925 members hit the streets in Marysville, Washington, to demand care, dignity and justice for our communities.
The NewsGuild-CWA: TNG-CWA released the video below. Members of the Everett NewsGuild in Washington held an informational picket.
Happy Labor Day! ✊
![BOSK workers pose for a group picture with UAW President Shawn Fain [center, red long-sleeved shirt].](https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/bosk.png)
