Local unions fill the Labor Day parade in Decatur (2024)

DECATUR — Decatur has a strong history with unions.

Monday’s Labor Day Parade, filled with supportive participants and viewers, wrapped around downtown Decatur for more than an hour, as they cheered on the groups of local unions.

“We try to keep this as union as possible,” said John Warner, parade chairman, president of IBEW Local 146 and vice president of Decatur Trades and Labor. “Because we are here to celebrate labor.”

Decatur resident Tae Cooper, 36, brought her daughters Breanna Broadnax, 19, and Melanie Taylor, 10, to the parade.

“I come to the Labor Day Parade every year. I like seeing the different teams,” Cooper said. “And I like to see the parade of children so happy to get candy. It really just shows Decatur’s happy side.”

Megan Trimby, her 1½-year-old daughter Lillian, and mother-in-law Sherry Trimby watched for their husband, father, son and Decatur Public Schools maintenance union member Nick Trimby, and their sons Cooper, 6, and August, 3.

The family has attended the Labor Day parades multiple years, Megan Trimby said.

“It’s a fun thing for families,” she said. “The kids love it. And my boys walk in the parade with my husband every year.”

Several family members were sitting along the parade route ready to support the union members while also encouraging others to join the professions.

“Union strength is growing by leaps and bounds in this country,” Warner said. “Being in the building trades, we can’t find enough help.”

The parade is an opportunity to show the positive side to union labor, the participants said.

“There’s other ways of making money, other than just going to college, then getting out of college with a hundred-thousand-dollar debt,” Warner said. “We’re projected to have work up until 2050. Decatur is booming.”

The union members encourage the earn-as-you-learn apprenticeships.

“There’s over $3 billion worth of work just on the northeast side of town,” said Brit Lovelace, business representative for Carpenters Local 270.

Aaron Gurnsey, business manager for the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 137, organized 900 pounds of candy for the nearly 150 union members and their families to toss out during the parade.

“It’s important to teach the history about Labor Day, and all the struggles of the men and women that came before us, and fought hard for all the things we’re afforded today,” he said. “Without unions and Labor Day, workers wouldn’t be anything like they are, especially in Illinois. Illinois is very labor friendly.”

Tom Freer, 58, is passing the union torch on to his twin sons, Ryan and Eric Freer, both 27. The Freer family is from Athens, but joined the parade because they are familiar with Macon County, they said.

“We know this area since we’ve worked here,” Tom Freer said.

As the foreman of the plumber and HVAC techs at the Springfield Public School District, Tom Freer has addressed the need for trades to local students.

“They (school administration) see us working and ask us to go over a briefing of the tools, just so they know there are workers that do that sort of thing,” he said.

Eric and Ryan Freer are plumbing and pipefitter apprentices.

“It’s a good trade and a lot of good things to learn everyday,” Ryan Freer said.

The parade gave the union members a chance to show off other skills, too, such as tossing candy.

“I have a kid at home, so she might get a little bit,” Eric Freer said about his 3-year-old daughter.