Labor leaders, supporters celebrate Labor Day
COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Labor leaders and supporters celebrated the holiday with a Labor Day picnic at Cook Park in the Village of Colonie. The annual event brought together union organizers and recognized those who are active in labor movements.
Ibrahím Pedriñán is the President of the Albany County Central Federation of Labor and received the Union Leadership award.
“We’re stronger together,” said Pedriñán. “As long as there have been workers there have been struggles for justice, for compensation for better wages for better working conditions.”
He says the capital district is the most union dense county in the nation, with a 32.3 percent membership rate and its been growing in recent years.
“Being the most union dense county in the nation, we realize we have a lot of power, and therefore we need to have a lot of responsibility,” said
Doug Bullock of Albany County Central Federation of Labor says it’s been an active summer.
“We have 911 strikes currently going on in the U.S. They’re all over the place a lot of them are for environmental issues,” said Bullock. “Unions are affective you make more money with unions and you got better benefits but most importantly you got a collective-bargaining agreement you got a say at work”
In addition to recognizing leaders, organizers grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, free to the public.