Union members march in Pittsburgh's Labor Day Parade, one of the nation's largest

Labor Day in Pittsburgh kicked off Monday morning with the city's annual Labor Day Parade, where the labor movement in western Pennsylvania gets to celebrate its union members. 

Pittsburgh traditionally has one of the biggest Labor Day parades in the country. Sponsored by the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council, 200 units made their way through downtown Pittsburgh with tens of thousands marching and watching from the side.

"I was a schoolteacher in Pittsburgh for 40 years, and I've always marched in the parade, and I always support the unions," said retired teacher Darius Lovelace. 

Monday's parade comes just months before the important midterm elections. Races are being closely watched by both young and older union members.

"People are trying to take away what they've worked for," Lovelace said. "The politicians, some of the politicians, are working to take away what we worked for."

"Personally, as a millennial, it felt really hopeless going into the workforce and building a career," said union member Juilia Centofanti. 

As for the union membership, last year marked the biggest increase in years across the nation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025 numbers show union membership up by some 411,000 workers. 

"The biggest challenge is the corporation," Centofanti said. 

Labor Day, however, is a day to have a good time, and for many rank-and-file and those who support them, the parade is just the first order of business.

"We'll probably do a lot of picnicking," one parade attendee said.