Ohio AFL-CIO Labor Day Events Included Honoring'Father of Labor Day'
As reported in Signal Cleveland, if you know about Labor Day, then you should know about John Patterson Green. As the first Black elected state representative from Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, Green introduced the 1890 bill establishing the holiday in Ohio.
Leonard DiCosimo, who heads the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor and is one of the speakers at Saturday’s dedication, said the middle and working classes are indebted to Green. “John Patterson Green led the way for our nation to celebrate a holiday for working people,” DiCosimo said.
The Cincinnati AFL-CIO held it's 2nd annual Labor Day Event at the Great American Ballpark with the Cincinnati Reds where Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga threw out the ceremonial first pitch and Kentucky AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan was named Honorary Captain.
Ohio AFL-CIO union members kicked off Labor Day Weekend on Friday, Sepember 1 with the 3rd annual Union Night at the Akron Rubberducks, hosted by the Northeast Area Labor Federation (ALF). Over 200 members and their families enjoyed the evening of Solidarity wathing the minor league players who are now members of the MLBPA and the AFL-CIO.
Saturday featured the honoring of Green as well as Labor Day parades in Marietta and Portsmouth. Lorain held it's annual Labor Day Festival on Sunday with Senator Sherrod Brown. Labor Day Monday featured parades in Toledo, Mansfield, Cleveland, Newark, Barberton, and Lima along with the Cincinnati Labor Day Event with the Reds.