Скачать или смотреть Chicago’s labor movement legacy honored at Pullman Labor Day Parade

On September 6, 2025, WGN News aired a segment on the Labor Day Parade at Pullman National Historical Park. Chicago—long recognized as the birthplace of the American Labor Movement—once again honored that legacy as union members gathered on the Far South Side to celebrate their collective power and history.

This year’s parade showcased unions across every industry, from teachers, nurses, and service workers to plumbers and bricklayers. “Chicago is a town of working-class folks. It’s the hometown of the American Labor Movement,” said Bob Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor.

Families marched proudly through Pullman, including carpentry supporter Daisy Chavez, who noted, “We’ve been a carpentry family for a long time, so we’re excited to be here all the time supporting them.” The route stretched down Cottage Grove Avenue and into the historic neighborhood, home to the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum.

“This is the 100-year anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, America’s first and only Black labor union to receive a charter under the American Federation of Labor,” explained Dr. David Peterson, the museum’s president.

While challenges for fair wages and benefits remain, attendees stressed that Labor Day is also about remembering sacrifices made by earlier generations. “We’re not celebrating what we have today, we’re celebrating the people who brought us here from yesterday,” said Patrick McCarthy of Plumbers Local 130. “There’s a lot of people that put a lot of effort, gave their lives to give us a five-day work week. That’s what Labor Day means to me.”

The day’s festivities concluded with a festival honoring the life and work of former union activist Edward Sadlowski. Reflecting on the event, Reiter added: “Chicago is so lucky to have such a diverse labor movement—not only in the work we do representing people on the job, but in the people themselves who make up this movement.”