Bangor area union leaders, organizations celebrate Labor Day

BREWER, Maine (WABI) - The Eastern Maine Labor Council and Food and Medicine held their 19th annual Labor Day Celebration Monday evening.

The event included several speakers like employees who have successfully formed unions along with Governor Janet Mills.

President of the Eastern Maine Labor Council, Jack McKay, says the day is, simply put, a day to celebrate people who do the work.

He says this year’s focus was on sovereignty and the increased number of workers who are deciding to have a voice at work through a union.

”Which means you got to have a say on your wages, your hours, your working conditions, which is just a tremendous thing is really increasing dramatically in the Bangor area and throughout the state of Maine. There has been some huge victories in the nurses union, public bus drivers and lots of other food service workers and it’s really inspiring. It’s some of the greatest organizing I’ve seen in my lifetime,” McKay said.

McKay says he hopes today was a chance to recognize where they came from and look ahead at where they want to go.