Union members march for increased wages on Labor Day weekend

In the pouring rain Sunday afternoon, labor union members and supporters protested for increased wages and better working conditions.

As a part of the inaugural Labor Day Parade, about 40 cars and two horse-filled trailers traveled down West University Avenue to Bo Diddley Community Plaza.

The parade, sponsored by the North Central Florida chapter of the American Postal Workers Union, spanned seven blocks before ending at the fifth annual Labor Daze Fest, a music festival organized by workers’ rights activists in Alachua County.

Adrian Hayes-Santos, the Gainesville city commissioner for District 4, participated in the parade. He said it was vital for workers to have the right to unionize.

“I’m here today supporting labor and working families who are the backbone of our community,” he said.

Last month, Hayes-Santos pushed to raise the city’s living wage to $12.25 per hour for government employees, a move many parade-goers lauded as a step in the right direction.

James Ingle, a 39-year-old Gainesville resident who helped organize the music festival, said one of the main causes the event promoted was for the 10 biggest employers in the county, including UF, to pay workers $15 per hour.

Muriel Newman, 51, a member of the American Federation of Government Employees, led the cars down West University Avenue. She said the rain may have discouraged some residents from participating, but it couldn’t stop her.

“We’re still here in solidarity — forever,” she said. “It’s what we do.”