At marches and rallies, picnics and parades, Labor day was celebrated across this great country. Workers and unions fought hard for every win – Sundays off; healthcare for workers, good contracts, every raise and every benefit.
Philadelphia, Penn – AFLCIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred 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.”
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.”
Fred Redmond will also attend the 2025 New York City Labor Day Parade sponsored by the New York City Central Labor Council on Sept. 6.
