Union leaders came together in Scranton this Labor Day to remember the sacrifices that paved the way for this federal holiday.
Bill Cockerill is the Greater Scranton Central Labor Union Treasurer and says it's important to remember that it's more than just a day off.
"It started with the carpenters union and here we are today, 100 years later, still celebrating the importance of working people in America," he said.
The group gathered in front of the John Mitchell statue that sits on the Lackawanna courthouse square. Mitchell was a champion of labor rights and a driving force in the region's coal miners strike in 1902.
"Once upon a time there was no 40-hour work week, there was no benefits. If someone died in the mines, they were thrown on their front porch and their widow had to figure out how to survive that, that's why we stand here with John Mitchell because he was such a strong leader," says Rosemary Boland.
Mitchell's efforts are still felt in the area to this day. Around 20% of the workforce in northeastern Pennsylvania is organized labor, which is about double the national average.
"We have that mentality that we have to go to work, we need to represent, we need to help our fellow people out, it doesn't matter who they are," said Cockerill.
Rosemary Boland represents more than 900 teachers as the president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers. She says while Labor Day is a celebration of how far we've come, there's still more work to be done.
"Right now people are working more than forty hours a week and they're working hard to do the jobs they do, and I don't think they're appreciated," added the union president.
A commemoration this labor day for those who have paved the way, and those who continue to build upon that path, for our country's workers.
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