WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York has been a long-time supporter and Front Page Advertiser on WNYLaborToday.com, which is celebrating its 10th year of providing Labor Unions and their Members with an array of Labor News not found anywhere else in one place across the entire Internet.  It is partly because of this Union-represented Health Insurance Company’s commitment that Organized Labor has been provided with an opportunity to continually get its message out – unimpeded.  In addition, BCBSWNY is heavily involved and participates in a number of other Labor-driven events across all of Western New York, most notably the annual Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s Labor’s Night at the Races event, which has raised nearly $100,000 over the past decade to help fund a number of extremely worthwhile programs administered by the United Way of Greater Niagara.  WNYLaborToday.com would like to publicly thank BCBSWNY for its continued support of not only our On-Line Labor Newspaper, which has grown to be viewed and read across the United States, but for its commitment to the Labor Movement and doing its part to making things better for all those Union Members who live, work and raise their families here in Western New York. – Tom Campbell/Editor-Publisher.

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - Each year on the first Monday of September, Union-represented Workers across the United States, in Puerto Rico and in Canada have their own well-deserved day of tribute, celebration, and relaxation.  

Here in Western New York, the Labor Movement recognizes Labor Day with annual parades in Erie and Niagara Counties, as well as in the City of Jamestown in the Southern Tier, which honors Working People and Labor Unions, whose sacrifices have provided for a number of outstanding benefits that far too many have now taken for granted.

Today – Monday, September 4th, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York (BCBSWNY) and the Union that represents its Local Workforce, Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153 - will march with dozens of other Labor Unions, Friends of Labor and Elected Officials during the Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s annual parade, which is held in South Buffalo along Abbott Road and winds up with post-parade picnic in Cazenovia Park, which BCBSWNY sponsors.

The theme of this year’s Buffalo Labor Day Parade is: Unions Make America Great! 

With that said, Labor Day is the perfect time to recognize the many achievements of American Workers, but it is also important to acknowledge the remarkable contributions they’ve made “to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” as expressed by the U.S. Department of Labor, throughout the year, BCBSWNY Officials say.

This year’s Grand Marshal of the Buffalo AFL-CIO Labor Council Parade is Local Labor Leader Robert McLennan, who is being recognized and honored for his decades-long commitment representing Western New York Union Members. 

McLennan currently serves as the Business Representative for OPEIU Local 153. 

Previously, McLennan served as the President of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 3 here in Western New York for 18 years, who is believed to be the longest-serving president in Branch 3 history.

(For More On Grand Marshal McLennan, Read WNYLaborToday.com’s August 24th Labor News Report, Headlined: Long-Time Western New York NALC/OPEIU Union Leader Robert McLennan Officially Introduced As The Grand Marshal Of The 2017 Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s Labor Day Parade)

Other prominent Local and International Union Leaders will also be marching in the Labor Day Parade, including Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Richard Lipsitz and Buffalo AFL-CIO Labor Council President John Mudie, as well as leadership from every Union here in Western New York – from American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the Building Trades Union, the United Auto Workers (UAW), United Steelworkers (USW), the Teamsters and so many more.

McLennan will be further honored by the OPEIU, whose National President - Richard Lanigan - and Region II Vice President - Michael Goodwin - will travel from New York City to Buffalo to march alongside him in the Labor Day Parade.

“As the ‘sole health insurance provider’ in Western New York with a ‘Unionized presence,’ our ‘commitment’ to Organized Labor ‘has never been stronger.’  We are ‘tremendously proud’ to march alongside Bob McLennan and our Local and International Union Members this Labor Day,” BCBSWNY Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer Dave Busch told WNYLaborToday.com.

BCBSWNY is Western New York’s largest Health Insurer, with 1,500 local Employees, serving more than 800,000 Members, including many from the region’s local Unions. 

And - BCBSWNY is the only Health Insurance Company in the region with a Unionized Workforce and has a 60-year relationship with OPEIU. 

With 440 Union-represented Employees in Buffalo, Organized Labor is a “vital component” to BCBSWNY’s business operations, the Health Insurer’s Officials said.

On another front, BCBSWNY employs long-standing Members of OPEIU and other major Labor Organizations to actively engage local Union Workers in the maintenance and improvement of Labor Benefits and Conditions.

In addition to sponsoring the annual Labor Day festivities in Buffalo for the last four years, BCBSWNY lends its support to a number of other events across the region – such as the annual Buffalo AFL-CIO Labor Council Picnic and Labor’s Night at the Races, a yearly event held at Ransomville Raceway in Niagara County which has raised more than $100,000 over the past 10 years to aid the United Way of Greater Niagara, which goes to fund a number of programs to help Workers and their families in Niagara County.

As part of its ongoing and continued commitment to the Western New York Region, BCBSWNY has invited all community members to join in the spirit of the Buffalo Labor Day Parade and post-parade picnic.

“BlueCross BlueShield ‘salutes our dedicated’ American Workers and ‘wishes everyone a fun and safe’ Labor Day,” the Health Insurer said in a released statement.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Above Photo Provided by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, taken at last year’s Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s Labor Day Parade on a float with its OPEIU Local 153-represented Buffalo Workforce and Union Representatives, as well as Members of the BCBSWNY Team.