2016 Labor Day parade highlights Toledo workforce

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - For thousands of union members, this annual labor of love is for the love of Labor.

Representatives from AFSCME, The UAW, Teamsters and more than 100 other unions filled the streets of downtown Toledo this morning.

They were lock-step with local marching bands, flanked by horses and surrounded by flying candy.

An estimated 20,000 union members took part in today's parade. Thousands more watched along the sidewalks of Summit Street.

General President of the Ironworkers International, Eric Dean, was in Toledo from Washington, D.C.

He speaks for roughly 130,000 Ironworkers across the country, and says he wanted to be among the membership rather than follow a political candidate.

Dean was here to speak to the crowd about the importance of infrastructure when it comes to job creation and retention.

"Without infrastructure," said Dean, "you can't get goods to market; You can't get commerce; You can't get freight around the country. Workers got to get to work, and people just need to commute. So, for us, all aspects of infrastructure help pay our members' bills. Whether it's locks and dams, bridges, roads."

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson led the charge. They were at the head of the parade when it stepped off at 9:00AM.

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