Hundreds of union workers celebrate Milwaukee's Laborfest
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Despite the heat, hundreds of union workers marched downtown to Milwaukee's lakefront Monday, Sept. 4 in honor of the annual Labor Day celebration.
Union workers packed the streets of Milwaukee to participate in the Labor Day parade to kick off Laborfest at the Summerfest grounds.
Those who attended the annual event said it's a time to reflect on those who fought for union benefits like weekends, worker protections, overtime pay and much more.
"The unions are fighting for their members, but ultimately they’re fighting for workers, any worker and so it’s important to give a moment to say thank you for your hard work," said Melissa Kingston, a union worker that lives in Bay View.
Robert Beronja, a carpenter with Teamsters Local 344 who's attended Laborfest for more than 25 years said, "it's important for everyone to realize unions are important in this country and how beneficial they are for people like me where you've worked all your life and even if you haven't saved a lot, you still have your pension and you have your brotherhood."
Democrats including Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, U.S Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI 4th District), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Gov. Tony Evers all spoke at the event highlighting union gains and the work ahead.
Evers again called for repealing Act 10, the collective bargaining bill signed by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker that redefined labor in Wisconsin by stripping rights away from some union workers such as teachers and prison guards.
"I remain committed to restoring collective bargaining rights and prevailing wage protections," Evers said. "And, as well as support protecting labor agreements and dumping the right to work laws."
Last year, President Joe Biden spoke at Laborfest stressing the importance of unions in building the middle class. Just last week, his administration proposed a rule to expand overtime pay to 3.6 million more workers.