Labor Day Parade participants ‘here to support the union’

People who attended and took part in the 41st annual Labor Day Parade in East Moline had a lot to think about on Monday, Sept. 2. Some were thinking about supporting their unions. Others were at the parade to thank the community for its support of labor. And many people – as they lined up […]

People who attended and took part in the 41st annual Labor Day Parade in East Moline had a lot to think about on Monday, Sept. 2. Some were thinking about supporting their unions. Others were at the parade to thank the community for its support of labor. And many people – as they lined up for the parade in the John Deere Harvester Works parking lot – were thinking about the recent mass layoffs of production and salaried John Deere workers.

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This summer, the ag equipment giant announced a series of job layoffs in and around the region. Some of them included: John Deere Harvester Works, East Moline, about 280 production employees impacted by the layoffs; John Deere Davenport Works, about 230 production employees; and John Deere Dubuque Works, about 100 production employees. Those layoffs were on the mind of Levi Hanson of Albany, Illinois, as he prepared to take part in the parade with other members of the plumbers and pipefitters Local Union 25 of Rock Island. “Jobs go up. Jobs go down. Hopefully, they’ll all get back to work soon. … I’m here to support the union and all the work it does,” said Mr. Hanson, who is a pipefitter. Jeremy Hammer, a member of UAW Local Union 281, also had the Deere workers in his thoughts during the holiday parade. “We all have to keep our brothers and sisters in mind. … I hope they’ll be called back to work,” he said. The parade’s grand marshal –  Sheri Carnahan, a retired union member who worked for the Iowa Workforce Development Center for 31 years – said she was thinking about the Deere layoffs. “I have family members employed at Deere. So, these things are always on my mind,” she added.

Trickle-down fears

Several along the parade route said they also were thinking about the Deere layoffs during this year’s parade. One woman who didn’t want to be identified said she was especially concerned about the trickle down effect the job layoffs would have on the community. That’s because when people lose their jobs and don’t have income to spend, many other businesses and organizations in the community will also suffer. Those fears were also on the mind of Jaydon Prunchak of Davenport as she watched the parade as it started the route from the John Deere Harvester Works parking lot  on Monday afternoon. “It’s disappointing. I think (Deere layoffs) will soon affect the entire Quad Cities,” she said. But for many in East Moline on Monday, the Labor Day parade was a time to watch colorful parade entries and give thanks to the work of labor unions. “It’s just great to see everything here. … We always love coming to this,” said Ms. Prunchak, who added that she attends the parade to support her husband, who is a union member. Monday’s Labor Day parade showcased a wide variety of trucks, vans, high school marching bands, old fire trucks, antique cars, beauty pageant winners, politicians running for office, a bagpipe player and lots of candy for the kids. Almost every entry in the parade featured people with bags of candy that were tossed to the many children along the parade route through East Moline.

Key parade themes

Many of those vehicles had pro-union signs attached to them. One of those signs stated: “Make America Union Again. Greatness will follow.” Several parade participants said they hope the kids enjoy the candy. But they also hope people along the parade route will understand the key themes of the parade. One of those themes is to appreciate local unions and their role in helping workers. “Now, more than ever, it’s important to stand up for our rights,” said Mr. Hammer. The union leader added that if workers don’t stand up for their rights, we might be heading toward a society that no longer has a middle class; it will be a society divided into a few rich people and many poor people. Others at the parade, though, said they hope the parade gets across two words to the community: “Thank you.” “This is about saying ‘Thank you” to the community for supporting us. … That message is really more important than ever,” said David Bogosian, a member of UAW Local Union 79.