(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – After a one-year COVID pause and a car caravan in 2020 that replaced the annual event, the Buffalo Labor Day Parade is returning this September - this time honoring the role Essential Workers have and continue to play during the Coronavirus Pandemic, as well as featuring a new marching route that starts in the City of Lackawanna.

“The ‘celebration is on!’  ‘It’s coming back and our parade is happening.’  We will be ‘celebrating Labor and Essential’ Workers and it will be ‘a day for us.’  It is ‘so needed right now and we are all looking forward to it,’” Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President Denise Abbott told WNYLaborToday.com this week.

The parade will take place on Labor Day - Monday, September 6th. 

Those taking part will begin assembling at 11 a.m., with a 12 noon start.

However, instead of its usual start in South Buffalo in Abbott Road - due to road construction, the parade will kick off in the City of Lackawanna on Dorrance Avenue before making its way to McKinley Parkway and then on to Red Jacket Parkway, where the event will end with a post-parade picnic (sponsored by Highmark Western New York, the former Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York) at Cazenovia Park - outside the Peter Crotty Casino.

As many as 2,000 marchers from the Western New York Labor Movement’s individual Private and Public Sectors – as well as from the Building Trades, are anticipated to take part, with a number of Friends of Labor and Elected Officials marching too. 

Combine that with the great amount of spectators along the parade route who show up every year (minus 2020), and that number is sure to swell.

“We are ‘absolutely thrilled,’” added Abbott, who heads a Labor Council with 70 affiliated Unions and a combined 80,000 Public and Private Sector Members.

Abbott’s been a CWA Member for the past 18 years, has served as Health and Safety Director for CWA Local 1168 since 2013, and has been a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Emergency Room at North Tonawanda’s DeGraff Memorial Hospital for the past 13.

Former Buffalo AFL-CIO Labor Council President John Mudie, who is President of CWA Local 1122, will serve at this year’s Grand Marshal. 

A formal presentation and news conference will be held in the coming weeks.

“John’s been ‘essential’ (himself),” Abbott said of her CWA Brother Mudie.  “His leadership was ‘essential’ during the pandemic, ‘during which he worked to protect the workplaces where his essential’ Members worked - including Health Care Workers, ‘and made sure their rights on the job were protected too.’” 

“In addition, under his leadership at the Buffalo Labor Council, John ‘brought together more’ Unions ‘who got more involved while stressing the importance of what the Council does.’  ‘He also incorporated Labor more into our community.’  ‘This (the honor of being named Grand Marshal of the Labor Day Parade) is for all the good work he’s done,’” Abbott added of Mudie.

Mudie, a CWA Member since 1982, has served as President of his nearly 1,400-Member Local 1122 for nearly three years and a number of years previous to that as its Executive Vice President. 

“I am ‘surprised, pleased and humbled.’  ‘I’m sure I will blushing then,’” Mudie - who will be officially sashed during a news conference that will be held later this month, tells WNYLaborToday.com. “It’s a ‘tremendous honor and I’m looking forward to it.’”

“It’s ‘also tremendous to have such an honor along our Essential’ Workforce,” continued Mudie, whose Union represents 1,365 Essential Members, ranging from Health Care to Communications to Crisis Services.  “So ‘many of our Essential Workers worked on COVID floors (in hospitals) and right up to the young kids who stocked our grocery store shelves.’  ‘They all performed their duty.  I get chills just thinking about the jobs they do.’”

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Peter DeJesus, who also voiced his excitement about the return of the Buffalo Labor Day Parade while being interviewed by Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, said: “It’s the ‘return’ of Organized Labor.  ‘We’re back in full force.’  ‘We’ll show our solidarity with those who have and continue to battle COVID and celebrate our accomplishments.’  We’re also taking a ‘different’ (parade) route, ‘so it will give it all a fresh look.’  ‘I anticipate one of the largest Labor Day Parades we’ve ever had.’”

DeJesus also had high words of praise for Grand Marshal Mudie: “John is ‘very deserving’ (of the honor).  I remember his taking over the (Buffalo Labor) Council ‘when it was in turmoil and I never met a person who has ever said a bad word about him.’”

Meanwhile, Buffalo Labor Council President Abbott also had words of praise for Highmark Western New York, the region’s only Union-Represented Health Care Plan (Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153).

“I am ‘overwhelmed by their generosity and their dedication’ to the Labor Community, ‘and I’m grateful to their annual support of our parade and picnic,’” Abbott said.

WNYALF President DeJesus also chimed in: “I am glad Highmark/BlueCross BlueShield ‘is back in the fold as our parade sponsor.  We’ve ‘had an extremely good relationship with the Blues over the past ten years and they are the only local health care plan that’s Unionized.’  ‘They’re solid people and I’m excited that they are part of this.’”

Highmark Western New York Labor Consultant Kevin Donovan, a retired United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9’s Assistant Director, said Highmark was “very happy and pleased” to continue with its sponsorship of the Buffalo Labor Council’s Labor Day Parade.

“Highmark Western New York ‘is committed to support’ the Labor Movement here in Western New York ‘now and in the future.’  We’ve sponsored the (post-parade picnic) for several years now ‘and are more than pleased to play a role in helping make this great event for Working People such a success,’” Donovan said.