Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Deirdra L. Picou (212) 788-2971
"It's a pleasure to join you for the 114th observance of Labor Day in New York City," said Mayor Giuliani. "It has taken 371 years to build the New York City we see today. Back in 1625, Fifth Avenue was a wilderness. And that wilderness was tamed and transformed into a magnificent City by the hard-working hands of New Yorkers. So the labor movement and the City of New York share a long proud heritage."
"It is a heritage that is enshrined in our City's deepest traditions," the Mayor continued. "We can even see it represented on the seal of the City of New York. In the center of our seal is windmill, the power source that ran the original mills and factories of New Amsterdam. Next to the windmill are barrels, symbolizing trade and manufacturing.
And there are beavers that represent the trappers who founded the fur industry that helped build our economy. A sailor appears on the seal, holding navigation instruments that represent the port and shipping industry. A Manhattan Indian is shown holding the bow he used for hunting. The seal is our City's way of saying that since our earliest days we have honored the importance and dignity of work."
The Mayor Giuliani continued, "I can assure you that respect for organized labor is an everyday part of my Administration. I am proud that our relationship has been marked by open discussion and constructive negotiations. We've worked hard to build a positive partnership with our City's union, resulting in agreements that have achieved real savings for the people of New York City, while at the same time empowering workers and energizing the City's workers."
"When our booming tourism and hotel industries were threatened by a strike, we encouraged a spirit of cooperation, an understanding that all sides would benefit from a reasonable solution," said the Mayor. "Thanks to some great leadership by Vincent and Vito Pitta of the New York Hotel and Motel Trade Council, today we're seeing more hotel employees at work --and the hotels are having a great year, too.
"It takes great labor leaders to make a great city, and New York has the best. We share a genuine concern about the future of our city and all of our people. Organized labor in New York understands that a stable, growing City provides the most security for union members."
Mayor Giuliani concluded "I would like to congratulate Tom Van Arsdale on his selection as Grand Marshal. "Van Arsdale is one of the proudest names in the history of organized labor, and Tom has added greatly to the family honors. Tom has devoted his life to the advancement of working men and women, and I can think of no one who better deserves this high honor. Tom, Congratulations. It's your day, it's our day. It's a day for all New Yorkers."
The celebration of Labor Day, in honor of the working class, was initiated in the United States in 1882 by the Knights of Labor, who held the first Labor Day celebration with a large parade in the streets of New York City. In 1884 the group held a parade on the first Monday of September and passed a resolution to hold all future parades on that day and to designate the day as Labor Day. Subsequently, the Central Labor Union and other worker organizations began to lobby for state legislatures to declare the day a legal holiday. In March of 1887, the first law to that effect was passed in Colorado, followed by New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. In 1894, the Federal government recognized labor day as holiday for all federal workers.
In a major break from tradition, the 1996 Labor Day Parade was held the weekend after Labor Day. The later date allowed New Yorkers who are traditionally out of town over the Labor Day weekend to enjoy the sights and sounds of labor's proudest day.