August 8, 2025 — On Saturday, September 6, PEF, along with dozens of other unions and the New York Central Labor Council will participate in New York City’s annual Labor Day Parade, and all PEF members are invited to march. This parade, and others like it across the State, are critical opportunities for PEF and the labor movement to flex our collective muscle at a time when PEF is working to secure a new contract and working people are facing ever growing threats.
As PEF begins negotiations for a new contract, the Labor Day Parade presents our members with a chance to show Albany that we make the state stronger and are a force to be reckoned with. By taking to the streets, PEF members can demonstrate that we are a united front. The power of any union comes from collective action, and this Labor Day is the perfect time to show off our power before we go to the bargaining table.
“As we march through the streets of New York City on this Labor Day, let us take a moment to recognize the incredible impact PEF members have made in the lives of New Yorkers,” said PEF President Wayne Spence. “They work tirelessly to make sure New Yorkers receive vital state services, whether it’s during the DOCCS strike this year or the pandemic before that, or just every day, helping New Yorkers receive the public services they deserve.
In addition to showing that PEF is strong, the Labor Day Parade can also demonstrate that the labor movement is strong. While it is always important for PEF members to stand in solidarity with their fellow workers, this Labor Day is particularly crucial because of the recent attacks on unions and working people. We, as a union, need to put the state and country on notice that we will not take threats to our livelihood lightly.
When the federal government cuts Medicaid, that hurts our union brothers and sisters who work at hospitals that rely on Medicaid money to stay open. When the federal government unilaterally fires union workers or attempts to cancel their collective bargaining agreements, that emboldens the state to trample on our collective bargaining rights. When members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are removed from their posts, that cripples the labor movement across the country and further empowers those who wish to take away our rights. These are not hypothetical doomsday scenarios, all these things are happening right now, and it is our job as union members to fight against them.
Throughout history, organized labor has had to fight tooth and nail to earn and maintain our rights. Until 1935, forming a union and collective bargaining was illegal in most states, and companies would often hire private militias to assault striking workers. In New York, state workers didn’t gain the right to collectively bargain until 1967, and many states still don’t allow public sector employees to form unions. In recent years, states have banned union shops, and in 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that union shops were unconstitutional for public sector unions. Throughout all of this, the labor movement has survived because we have never stopped fighting. When the coal companies fired cannons at striking miners, the miners didn’t give up, they fired back. When West Virginia teachers were offered an offensively small contract, they didn’t accept it, they walked out of their classrooms and marched to the state capital. And this Labor Day, as our rights and jobs are under threat, we will march in solidarity. We will stand up for ourselves, we will march for our union rights and benefits, we will march alongside our union brothers and sisters throughout New York, and for workers across the country. We will march to show the world that we are strong, united, and ready to fight.
Parades and events around the State
New York City: PEF steps off at 11:30, but meet as soon as you can after 10 a.m. on East 45th Street, between 5th and Vanderbilt Avenues. We’ll have t-shirts, whistles, clappers, and food and drink. You bring your PEF Pride! RSVP here.
Albany: The Michael L. Burns Labor Day Celebration does not include a parade this year, but there is a union family picnic from Noon to 4 p.m. on September 1 at Lanthier’s Grove, 4 Dunsbach Ferry Rd. in Latham. Come enjoy all your favorite summer cookout foods, and family-friendly activities like horseshoes, a rock wall, a bounce house, and more. The picnic is free for union members and their families. Please RSVP here.
Buffalo: Join the Buffalo Central Labor Council and the WNY Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO for the 2025 Labor Day Parade and Cookout, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. September 1 at Warren Spahn Way in Buffalo.
Massena: There will be a Solidarity Parade and Picnic again this year. PEF members and their families can line up up starting at 10 a.m. in the parking lot across from the Rusty Wheel. The parade ends in Spring Park around Noon, where the picnic is held. Here is a flyer about the parade, and here is one about the picnic.
Rochester: The Labor Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. at the corner of East and Alexander, heads west on Main Street, and finishes at Main and St. Paul Streets. For more information, contact the Labor Day Parade organizer.
Syracuse: Join the Greater Syracuse Labor Council at the Great New York State Fair for their annual Labor Day Parade and first ever Labor Day Family Hour! Family Hour will include games, prizes, activities, and giveaways. It will start at 10 a.m. in the back of the Exposition Center followed by a brief rally before the parade at 11 a.m.