Pittsburgh's Labor Day Parade is one of the largest in the country.

Leading this year's parade were the nurses from UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, celebrating their vote to unionize with SEIU, the first nurses to form a union at UPMC hospital after years of trying. 

"This is a huge win for us, and it's even a bigger win for patients, which is why we did this," said nurse Gretchen Zelinsky.   

But union victories like it are the exception rather than the rule. Union membership is stagnant in Pennsylvania and labor leaders say they're facing headwinds from the Trump administration, which they say is reining in workers' rights and cutting tens of thousands of federal union members in the VA and other departments. 

"The proof is what you're seeing. You're seeing issues of federal employees being absolutely decimated under executive orders and that's really what it comes down to," Allegheny-Fayette Labor Council president Darrin Kelly said. 

But while union leadership supported Kamala Harris last year, most union members voted for Trump. Locally, membership appears happy with Trump's support of Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel and are hopeful that the push for AI development will boost natural gas and the construction of massive data centers. 

"We're happy for jobs, and politicians that support jobs are the ones that are going to get support from the steamfitters and the buildings trades," said Kenneth Broadbent, a member of Steamfitters Local 449.

"Understand that we brought those data centers in," said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.  

Shapiro says it's possible to be pro-union and pro-development, touting Amazon's recent commitment to a $20 billion data center in eastern Pennsylvania, and the proposed multi-billion-dollar conversion of the Homer City Power Plant.

"We're creating jobs in Pennsylvania, while the Trump administration is laying people off and making it harder for workers to get ahead," Shapiro said. 

But union membership in Pennsylvania is flat and gaining new members or even retaining old ones is a constant battle, but membership says it's up for the fight. 

Moment of silence held for Clairton plant explosion victims at Labor Day Parade in Pittsburgh

Shortly before the Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade started marching around 10 a.m. on Monday, the loss of two workers killed in U.S Steel's Clairton plant explosion was acknowledged by the crowd, with fire engines blaring sirens, a moment of silence, and taps played on the trumpet.

Steve Mazza, the organizer of the parade, told KDKA it's important to recognize the loss on this holiday meant to recognize workers in our community.

Mazza is also the council representative for the Regional Council of Carpenters Eastern Atlantic States, and he believes workplace safety is a top priority. 

"Memorialize them and honoring them because they are hardworking people that just want to go home and feed their families," said Maza. 

"We want to see people go home with ten fingers and ten toes to their families and their loved ones," he added. "It's the most important thing at the end of the day."

From the unions to the Pittsburgh Catholic church, the workplace explosion three weeks ago to the day is still present in their minds and prayers.

"Certainly, our prayers still go out to the families. It's hard to lose somebody when someone goes to work like that, you expect you're going to come home," Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Mark Eckman said. 

So, on this Labor Day, it's a family parade with a special moment for unions, workers, and the church to unite and remember those lost suddenly on the job.

"It's devastating to their families, so we offer our prayers and our support to them," Eckman said. "We're very grateful to all those who are offering any type of tangible assistance to the families as well."