Milwaukee's Laborfest is open to the public Monday, with organizers welcoming everyone — union members and non-union workers alike — to celebrate Labor Day and reflect on the history of the American labor movement.
The annual parade kicks off at 11 a.m. at Zeidler Union Square. The roughly mile-long route ends at the Summerfest grounds, where the festival continues with entertainment, a classic car show, and activities for children.
Free parking is available at the Summerfest grounds in Lots H and P. A shuttle is available to take attendees to the parade starting area until 10:30 a.m., but riders will need to find their own way back to their vehicles after the parade.
WATCH: UNION MEMBERS REFLECT ON LABOR DAY AS CELEBRATION IS OPEN TO ALL
The classic car show runs from noon to 3 p.m. A dedicated children's area features bucket truck rides and a splash pad.
Vince Gallo IV, a business agent at Plumbers Local 75, said his father was in a union and he followed in his path. He said the day is about celebrating the work and sacrifice it took to secure rights workers have today, including overtime pay, weekends off, and vacation time.
"What it means to me is that we're protecting the rights of not only union workers but all workers. When we get raises, when our benefits increase, that helps those others too that are non-union because they got to try to keep up with us. And, and, and in turn we're bettering other people's lives as well," Gallo IV said.
Ian Gunther, president of ASME Local 47, works for Milwaukee Waterworks. He said Labor Day is about the ongoing fight workers have waged to support one another and build a better livelihood.
"And I think that one of the most important things to me about the union movement and about Labor Day is that I get to see all of the people that have been doing work in their own way to kind of bend the arc of justice in in the right direction, you know, to transform our world to make make it so that workers are Justly compensated for the effort that they put in uh everywhere," Gunther said.
Gunther welcomed anyone to come to the grounds to rest and reflect — including on Milwaukee's own Labor Day history. In 1886, seven workers died during the Bayview Massacre while marching for an eight-hour workday.
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