Community members gathered in Bell Park on Monday, to commemorate the gains of local unions at the annual Labour Day in the Park event hosted by the Sudbury and District Labour Council.
The event began with a proclamation and speeches, followed by a solidarity march, and an afternoon of food vendors, union exhibitors, live music, children's activities and games.
Labour Day in the Park has evolved in recent years to become more union-focused said Paul Pasanen, vice president of the labour council and co-ordinator of this year's event, but remains a family-oriented event for all to enjoy. This is important he said, not only for individuals looking to spend time with family and friends but so that members of the community can put a "face" to the unions who speak on their behalf.
"Everyone in a union is part of a family, part of a neighbourhood, part of a community – we are the people," said Pasanen.
Unions were introduced as a voice for the public, to combat the dangerous conditions they faced in and beyond a workplace due to the actions of an employer, said Pasanen. To this day, he said the social structure of unions allows and motivates people to collectively bargain for better situations in their work lives.
"People in Canada fought, were injured, died and suffered for your common everyday worker to have a say and have a part in making decisions in what happens to their life," said Pasanen.
Despite the role unions have played in introducing critical city-wide infrastructure, championing for the health and adequate compensation of workers, and subsequently boosting the economy, Pasanen said there are those that would disband unions all-together.
"There are factors trying to dull it down, take away that power, take away that right, all the time," he said.
This is a concern for Pasanen, who said that individuals do not have the same power as a collective voice to demand equality, and "it's about fairness for everyone." Through today's event, Pasanen said he hopes to encourage individuals to have a "strong voice and a strong action in their communities."
Unions are one way to have a voice heard said Pasanen, another is by voting. With the federal election around the corner, Pasanen said there were many in attendance getting the information they needed to make an informed decision in the ballot box.
