Parade, sweets help city recognize contributions of unions, workers at Labor Fest
By Kate Schott/La Crosse Tribune

Ian and Jared Deyo scooped the candy from the street, quickly placing it into the canvas tote bags hanging around their necks.

In went the Tootsie Rolls and lollipops, the Jawbreakers and peanuts. By the time the 45-minute Labor Day parade had filed past their post at Caledonia and Clinton streets, their bags were more than half-way full.

“They had the bags around their necks like feed bags,” chuckled their mother, Julie Deyo of Onalaska.

Ian, 7, has a fondness for the root beer barrels, while Jared, 5, likes the caramels.

“The kids are never disappointed,” Julie Deyo said of the bounty her sons gather. “But I also tell them they have the day off because of everyone who does work for us in the city, like the police officers.”

The Deyos were just three of the hundreds of people who lined the parade route Monday morning, then filed into Copeland Park for Labor Fest. The AFL-CIO Council, which has 46 affiliates from La Crosse, Monroe and Vernon counties, sponsors the annual event.

Terry Hicks, president of the Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO Council, knows the annual event is referred to as “The Candy Parade,” but he said attendees also come to honor the contributions of area workers.

The parade has been held since at least 1896.

People from the various unions made up most of the parade marchers, with the majority giving out candy.

The La Crosse Education Association handed out pencils and one union handed out freeze pops. Area politicians gave away campaign stickers.

At Labor Fest, local musical group The Executives played while people ordered brats and beers and bingo numbers were called out.

New this year was a nail-driving contest. People competed to see who could hammer five nails into a massive piece of wood the fastest. Hicks said delegates requested the competition as a new way to mingle, but thought it was a fitting event.

“What's more symbolic than the swinging of a hammer?” Hicks said.

While it was a day to honor workers, Hicks said there are concerns for American laborers. Rising health care costs continue to cause friction between employers and employees, and the continued outsourcing of manufacturing jobs is hurting, he added.

“We're seeing the death of skilled factory work,” he said. “It's a race to the bottom” to see who can make items the cheapest.

Unions have improved working conditions, benefits and wages for all employees, not just members, added Sharon Roesler, a member of the Local 695 Teamsters at the brewery and the 1115 Machinists.

She turned around to show the back of her blue jacket to complete her thought. Embroidered on the back were these words: “The strength of America is union made.”