Hochul signs landmark worker protections as NY’s Labor Day parade celebrates unity, advocacy
Governor Kathy Hochul has marked the occasion by signing a series of worker-focused bills aimed at improving safety, transparency, and career advancement for New York’s workforce as thousands of workers from over 200 unions marched along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue in the country’s oldest Labor Day parade.
Governor Kathy Hochul has marked the occasion by signing a series of worker-focused bills aimed at improving safety, transparency, and career advancement for New York’s workforce as thousands of workers from over 200 unions marched along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue in the country’s oldest Labor Day parade.
The parade, themed “All Workers, Many Voices, One Fight,” highlighted the collective strength and shared struggles of workers across diverse industries.
Organizers emphasized that the “one fight” referred to unions’ unified commitment to advocating for better working conditions and fair treatment. As workers marched in solidarity, Hochul’s legislative actions underscored the parade’s theme by addressing key concerns of safety and equity in the workplace.
Among the bills signed by Hochul was the Retail Worker Safety Act, a groundbreaking measure requiring retail employers to train employees on how to prevent and respond to workplace violence. This move was seen as particularly vital for frontline workers facing growing threats from hostile customers and retail theft.
“As retail workers face hostile customers and those seeking to commit retail theft, they need the basic tools to deescalate situations and seek help,” said Assemblymember Karines Reyes, who introduced the bill alongside State Senator Jessica Ramos. “This landmark legislation will guarantee a critical part of New York’s essential workforce, retail workers, with the necessary protections to create safer work environments.”
In addition to worker safety, Hochul signed bills aimed at increasing payroll transparency for contractors and subcontractors on public projects and expanding eligibility for civil service workers to advance in their careers, further reinforcing the state’s commitment to worker rights and protections.
The Labor Day Parade, an annual tradition held on the first Saturday after Labor Day, is steeped in history, dating back to the first Labor Day celebration on September 5, 1882, when around 10,000 workers marched in Union Square, organized by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. Today, the parade continues to serve as a reminder of the enduring fight for workers’ rights and the victories won through collective action.
As New York’s workers continue to push for better conditions, Hochul’s signing of these new laws adds a legislative victory to this year’s parade, reaffirming the state’s role in leading the fight for labor rights across the country.
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