The Interim President of the Windsor and District Labour Council is very excited about this year's Labour Day celebrations.
"We have representation from Unifor National coming down to provide an address. We have a provincial president from the OSSTF (Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation) coming to talk about education," said Mario Spagnuolo. "I think the most exciting part is everybody being in person for the first time -- celebrating all of the successes over the last few years, but also remembering the challenges we continue to face."
The pandemic forced the council to celebrate online for the past two years, but this year, the parade and event at the Fogolar Furlan Club are back.
Marshalling is outside the Unifor Local 444/200 Hall on Turner Road at 10 a.m. From there, the parade will travel southbound along Walker Road before turning onto Digby Street to North Service Road.
A local Indigenous Elder will open the event before the speeches start at 11:45 a.m.
The Labour Day Parade in Windsor, September 5, 2016. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle.)
Spagnuolo said this year, frontline workers, among them nurses facing staffing shortages, are among those who will be honoured this year.
There's a lot to talk about this Labour Day. Inflation is making life less affordable for workers, the shift towards a greener automotive sector, the call for paid sick days, and the perceived threat of privatization in healthcare.
"I think what we need to do, as a labour community, is focus on building our solidarity to fight against this right-wing ideology that's out there that our public services aren't working, and therefore the best alternative is private care," Spagnuolo said. "We know that those things don't work. We have an example of that in the United States -- we need to invest in the front line, invest in these services."
Children are welcome at the event. There will be children's entertainment and activities, including buskers.