MANNINGTON, W.Va. — A Labor Day tradition is returning to Marion County after a two-year covid hiatus. The UMWA Labor Day picnic is Sunday at Hough Park in Mannington.
State Senator Mike Caputo, D-Marion, who also serves in top roles with the UMWA and West Virginia AFL-CIO, said it’s important to gather again to recognize the decades of work to improve working conditions and wages.
The Labor Council thought it was time to revitalize this picnic,” Caputo said.
The last time the picnic was held was Labor Day weekend in 2019.
Caputo said there’s a lot to celebrate this Labor Day with a resurgence in participation in labor unions across the country. He said it shows local young people entering the workforce they do have a voice.
“You’re much stronger together than you are negotiating as one-on-one type thing, in my opinion,” Caputo said. “So, that’s why I believe the labor movement is coming back.”
Caputo said it’s also an opportunity to stand up for organized labor that he said has been under attack for the last several years.
“In the union today you have an absolute voice, it’s a total democracy, you have the final say,” Caputo said. “I think young people like that and we’ll see growth in the labor movement in the coming years.”
The picnic is free and open to the public. Caputo said in years past as many as 500 people have attended.
“We won’t tolerate anything that would be non-family friendly,” Caputo said. “So, feel free to bring your kids no matter how small, your grand-kids, we just want everybody to come out and have a good time.”
For public safety reasons the event will be catered- there will be no buffet style as in past years.
“There will be free ice cream, free food, plenty of door prizes and it doesn’t cost anybody a dime to attend this,” Caputo said. “We have a really good time with a bunch of working class folks from across North Central West Virginia.”
The picnic will take place from noon until 4 p.m. UMWA President Cecil Roberts will be the keynote speaker.