The Labor Day parade in Rochester returned on Monday after a two-year hiatus despite rain and a heavy layer of clouds overhead.
This year the Rochester Labor Council chose the theme “Organize and Rise,” after an increase in local and national efforts to form labor unions.
Heading toward the front of the parade with colorful short hair and tattoos is Hayleigh Fagan, a Starbucks employee who, for months, has worked with colleagues to organize a union at the store on Monroe Ave in Pittsford.
They are still battling for fair treatment at work, she said.
“People should have job security,” said Fagan. “People shouldn't be scared of losing their benefits because we decide we want better for ourselves and our manager decides to cut our hours or put us on leaves of absences or shut down the store.”
A spokesperson with Starbucks said on Monday that "any claims of anti-union activity or retaliation are categorically false."
Earlier this year, the National Labor Relations Board asked a federal court to order Starbucks to stop interfering with unionization efforts, according to Associated Press reports, marking the third time since December that the NLRB filed a case against Starbucks.
That was after a franchise in Buffalo became the first location to unionize in decades. Starbucks Workers United states there are now over 200 unions.
At the parade, another recent local unionizing effort was recognized. The event marked the first Labor Day that Veterinary animal care assistant Tara McGrain would celebrate as a union member in her profession.
“Nobody gets into this job for the money but that doesn't mean we don't deserve a living wage,” said Tara McGrain, an employee at Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services. “So that's what we're fighting for to make this a much more sustainable career ‘cause we love your pets as much as you do.”
Workers at VSES told WXXI last December that working conditions and low wages were factors driving the push to unionize. They later joined the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union.
However, contract negotiations have been stalled for months. McGrain says she hopes to begin those negotiations this month with their employer, Thrive Pet HealthCare. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ahead of the parade, Rochester mayor Malik Evans said labor unions have built a more just society, from outlawing child labor to setting standards for full-time employment for most jobs.
“The work of the labor movement, I think is more important than ever," Evans said. “We know the rising cost of health care. We know that as inflation goes up, wages have less of a benefit to someone in their family. That's why it's important for us to make sure that we continue to support organized labor.”
From farmworkers to postal service workers to teachers, the parade on Monday morning showcased union workers from across many industries. Some, like Fagan and McGrain, are still battling for better working conditions.
