Pittsburgh's Labor Day parade doubles as a political event
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh's Labor Day parade is one of the nation's largest, and it doubles as a political event, especially this election year.
The Labor Day parade is the unofficial kickoff of the campaign season and the union leadership is lining up behind Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic candidates. But the trick will be to have their membership vote the same way.
The parade attracts political candidates like honey, especially on the Democratic side, and most all of the unions that marched are endorsing Harris over Former President Donald Trump.
"Give me one instance where Donald Trump has created union jobs in this country. I'll debate that til the day I die," said Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council President Darrin Kelly.
But it's no secret that many members are voting for Trump, even if they're not saying so on camera.
Still, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, who's running for reelection against Republican businessman David McCormick, says he isn't worried about losing labor's support.
"I'm not because I know I've earned the votes and the support of the men and women of organized labor. Not just at the leadership level but the rank and file level. They know my record. They know I've been fighting for them in the trenches year after year," Casey said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was shortlisted as Harris' running mate, points to the Biden administration's trillion-dollar bill to build bridges, roads and other infrastructure as a major impetus for jobs.
"Listen, there's a whole lot of people walking past us here in this parade who went to work cause of the Biden-Harris administration. We're going to have jobs for generations to come because of the vision of the Biden-Harris administration. Donald Trump when he was in charge made it harder for organized labor. We don't want to go back to that," Shapiro said.
PA Laborers' District Council President Philip Ameris acknowledged some members lean toward Trump, "but we have to go with the candidates who's done the most for the unions."
Pennsylvania may well decide the outcome of the presidential election and the union vote wil be crucial. How the membership will go remains an open question.